CVE-2005-0445 in Open WebMail
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Open WebMail 2.x allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML or web script via the domain name parameter (logindomain) in the login page.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/06/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0445 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Open WebMail version 2.x software suite. This security weakness resides in the authentication mechanism of the webmail application, specifically within the login page where user credentials are processed. The vulnerability manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user input received through the logindomain parameter, which is utilized to specify the domain name during the login process. This parameter becomes a vector for malicious code injection, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary HTML or JavaScript code within the context of authenticated user sessions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a well-established XSS attack pattern where malicious input is not properly validated or escaped before being rendered back to the user interface. When an attacker submits a specially crafted domain name parameter containing malicious script tags, the vulnerable application processes this input without adequate sanitization measures. The flaw directly maps to CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a vulnerability where untrusted data is incorporated into web page content without proper validation or encoding. The attack typically involves embedding malicious payloads such as javascript:alert(document.cookie) or more sophisticated payloads that can hijack sessions or redirect users to malicious sites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement. An attacker can leverage this XSS flaw to establish persistent access to user accounts, steal session cookies, redirect victims to phishing sites, or execute malicious commands on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the webmail system, potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive email communications and personal data. In enterprise environments where Open WebMail is deployed, this vulnerability could compromise multiple user accounts and facilitate broader network infiltration attempts. The attack surface is particularly concerning since it targets the login mechanism, which represents a critical entry point for user authentication and system access.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-0445 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. Organizations should immediately upgrade to a patched version of Open WebMail or apply the vendor-provided security patches that address the input sanitization issues. The solution involves implementing strict validation of the logindomain parameter to reject or sanitize any input containing potentially dangerous characters or script tags. Security measures should include proper HTML escaping of all user-supplied data before rendering it in the web interface, implementing Content Security Policy headers to restrict script execution, and conducting thorough input validation to prevent malicious payloads from being processed. Additionally, network monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous login patterns and potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers 'Scripting: Command and Scripting Interpreter' and demonstrates how web-based applications can be exploited to execute malicious code through client-side vulnerabilities, making it essential for organizations to maintain updated security measures and conduct regular vulnerability assessments to prevent such attacks from compromising their email infrastructure.