CVE-2005-1007 in CommuniGate Pro
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in the LIST functionality in CommuniGate Pro before 4.3c3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (server crash) via certain multipart messages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/06/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-1007 represents a critical denial of service flaw within CommuniGate Pro email server software prior to version 4.3c3. This issue specifically targets the LIST functionality which is commonly used for retrieving directory listings and mailbox information within email systems. The vulnerability manifests when the server processes certain multipart messages that contain malformed or specially crafted data structures. The attack vector requires remote exploitation, meaning malicious actors can trigger this vulnerability from outside the network without requiring authentication or local access to the system. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of input validation flaws where the software fails to properly sanitize or validate incoming message data before processing it through the LIST command.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate boundary checking and memory management within the multipart message parsing routine. When CommuniGate Pro receives a specially crafted multipart message that includes malformed boundaries or excessive nesting levels, the server's LIST functionality becomes overwhelmed and crashes. The flaw is particularly dangerous because it operates at the protocol level where legitimate email traffic can be exploited to cause service disruption. This vulnerability can be classified as a CWE-129 weakness, representing improper validation of input boundaries, and more specifically aligns with CWE-122 which covers improper restriction of operations within a recognized security boundary. The attack follows patterns consistent with the ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which involves network denial of service attacks targeting email services.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-1007 extends beyond simple service interruption as it can be leveraged for broader network disruption within organizations that rely heavily on CommuniGate Pro for email services. A successful exploitation can result in complete server crashes requiring manual intervention and system restarts, potentially causing significant downtime for email communications. Organizations using affected versions may experience cascading failures if email services are critical to business operations or integrated with other systems. The vulnerability affects email server availability and can be particularly damaging in environments where email is used for critical business processes or as a communication channel for emergency responses. System administrators may find themselves unable to access email services during an attack, potentially leading to communication breakdowns and loss of productivity. The lack of authentication requirements for exploitation makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be triggered by anyone with network access to the email server.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve upgrading to CommuniGate Pro version 4.3c3 or later which contains the necessary patches to address the input validation issues. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect unusual patterns in LIST command usage that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additional protective measures include configuring firewalls to restrict access to email server ports, implementing rate limiting for LIST command operations, and establishing robust backup email systems that can maintain service availability during potential attacks. Security teams should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on malformed multipart messages attempting to exploit this vulnerability. The fix typically involves enhanced input validation routines that properly check message boundaries and implement appropriate memory allocation limits to prevent buffer overflows during multipart message processing. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments to identify other potential vulnerabilities in their email infrastructure and ensure all software components are kept current with the latest security patches.