CVE-2005-0320 in Web Mail
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in MERAK Mail Server 7.6.0 with Icewarp Web Mail 5.3.0 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) username parameter to login.html, (2) accountid parameter to accountsettings_add.html, or the (3) note, (4) title, and (5) location fields to calendar.html.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/28/2025
The CVE-2005-0320 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness affecting MERAK Mail Server 7.6.0 when integrated with Icewarp Web Mail 5.3.0. This vulnerability exposes the web interface to malicious injection attacks that can compromise user sessions and potentially lead to unauthorized access to sensitive email data. The flaw manifests in three distinct attack vectors within the web mail application's user interface, making it particularly dangerous as attackers can exploit multiple entry points to execute malicious scripts. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize user input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content, a fundamental weakness in web application security architecture.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the web mail application's server-side processing logic. When users interact with the login.html page, the username parameter is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to the browser, allowing attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' sessions. Similarly, the accountsettings_add.html page fails to validate the accountid parameter, enabling attackers to manipulate account settings through crafted input. The calendar.html page presents three additional vectors through the note, title, and location fields where user-provided content is directly embedded into HTML without proper sanitization, creating persistent XSS opportunities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to hijack user sessions, steal authentication credentials, and access confidential email communications. Attackers can leverage these vulnerabilities to perform session fixation attacks, redirect users to malicious websites, or even execute administrative commands if they can escalate privileges through the compromised sessions. The persistent nature of the calendar field vulnerabilities means that malicious content can remain embedded in calendar entries and be executed whenever users view these entries, creating a long-term threat vector. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on web-based email systems where users frequently interact with calendar and account management features.
Security practitioners should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding measures across all web application interfaces to prevent such vulnerabilities from being exploited. The recommended mitigations include implementing strict parameter validation, using proper HTML encoding for all dynamic content, and implementing content security policies to limit script execution. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes social engineering attacks through malicious web content, and demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices as outlined in OWASP Top Ten. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar input validation weaknesses in legacy web applications, particularly those using older versions of web mail servers that may contain unpatched vulnerabilities.