CVE-2005-0075 in SquirrelMail
Summary
by MITRE
prefs.php in SquirrelMail before 1.4.4, with register_globals enabled, allows remote attackers to inject local code into the SquirrelMail code via custom preference handlers.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0075 represents a critical security flaw in SquirrelMail versions prior to 1.4.4 that specifically targets the prefs.php script when the PHP configuration parameter register_globals is enabled. This configuration setting, which was deprecated in PHP 4.2.0 and removed in PHP 5.4.0, allows external input to be automatically registered as global variables, creating a dangerous attack surface for remote code injection exploits. The vulnerability occurs because the application fails to properly sanitize user input when processing custom preference handlers, which are designed to allow users to modify various aspects of their email client configuration.
The technical flaw stems from improper input validation and sanitization within the preference handling mechanism of SquirrelMail. When register_globals is enabled, any GET or POST parameters passed to prefs.php become automatically available as global variables within the script's scope. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious requests that include specially formatted parameters designed to inject arbitrary PHP code into the preference handler processing logic. This injection occurs because the application does not properly validate or escape the input before incorporating it into the code execution flow, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the server with the privileges of the web application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching, as it enables remote attackers to achieve complete compromise of the SquirrelMail installation and potentially the underlying server. Successful exploitation can result in unauthorized access to user email accounts, data exfiltration, privilege escalation, and the establishment of persistent backdoors within the email infrastructure. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on SquirrelMail as their email client solution and have not properly configured their PHP environments to disable register_globals. This makes it particularly dangerous in environments where legacy configurations are maintained for compatibility reasons, as these systems often lack proper security hardening measures.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-0075 focus on both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. The primary solution involves upgrading to SquirrelMail version 1.4.4 or later, which includes proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms to prevent the injection of malicious code. Organizations should also ensure that register_globals is disabled in their PHP configuration files, as this setting fundamentally undermines the security of many web applications. Additionally, implementing proper input validation at multiple layers, including the application firewall and web application security controls, can provide defense-in-depth protection against similar vulnerabilities. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-94, which describes the weakness of allowing code to be injected into a system, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for executing malicious code through web shells and command injection vectors. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues in other web applications that may be running with insecure configurations.