CVE-2005-1756 in NetMail
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the ModWeb agent for Novell NetMail 3.52 before 3.52C allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via calendar display fields.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2021
The CVE-2005-1756 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Novell NetMail 3.52 before 3.52C, specifically affecting the ModWeb agent component. This vulnerability exposes organizations to significant security risks by enabling remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of legitimate user sessions. The flaw manifests in calendar display fields, which are commonly used for scheduling and event management within enterprise email systems. The ModWeb agent serves as a web interface for managing NetMail services, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to exploit web application vulnerabilities. The vulnerability's classification as a server-side XSS issue indicates that the application fails to properly sanitize user input before rendering it in web pages, creating an avenue for malicious code injection.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the ModWeb agent's calendar display functionality. When users interact with calendar events or scheduling features, the application processes user-supplied data without sufficient sanitization measures. This allows attackers to embed malicious script code within calendar entries, which then executes when other users view these calendar displays. The vulnerability operates under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, where applications fail to properly encode or escape output data. The attack vector leverages the web interface's trust in user-provided data, enabling attackers to bypass normal security boundaries and execute code in the victim's browser context. This particular variant demonstrates how seemingly benign features like calendar management can become attack surfaces when proper security controls are absent.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-1756 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can lead to complete session hijacking and unauthorized access to sensitive corporate data. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to steal user credentials, access confidential calendar information, and potentially escalate privileges within the NetMail system. The vulnerability affects organizations using Novell NetMail 3.52 before 3.52C, representing a significant risk to enterprise email security infrastructure. Once an attacker successfully injects malicious code, they can perform actions such as reading calendar entries, modifying scheduling information, and potentially accessing other user data stored within the system. The persistence of this vulnerability in the ModWeb agent means that any user with access to calendar functions becomes a potential target, making it particularly dangerous in large enterprise environments where calendar sharing and collaboration are common practices.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Novell NetMail 3.52C or later versions that contain the necessary security patches. The remediation process should also involve comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent similar issues in other applications. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their web-based email systems and implement proper content security policies to limit the impact of potential XSS attacks. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566 which covers phishing techniques, as attackers can use XSS to create convincing phishing pages that appear legitimate to users. Additionally, organizations should deploy web application firewalls and implement proper input sanitization techniques to prevent unauthorized code execution in web applications. Regular security testing and code reviews are essential to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors in the wild.