CVE-2006-0127 in MailSite
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in the IMAP service of Rockliffe MailSite before 6.1.22.1 allows remote authenticated users to rename the folders of other users via a .. (dot dot) in the RENAME command.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/17/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-0127 represents a critical directory traversal flaw within the IMAP service of Rockliffe MailSite software versions prior to 6.1.22.1. This security weakness specifically targets the folder renaming functionality of the mail server, enabling authenticated remote attackers to exploit a path traversal mechanism through the RENAME command. The vulnerability arises from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the IMAP service implementation, allowing malicious users to manipulate folder paths using the .. (dot dot) notation to access and modify folders belonging to other users within the same mail server environment.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the IMAP protocol's RENAME command which is designed to allow users to rename their mailbox folders. However, due to insufficient validation of the folder path parameters, attackers can inject directory traversal sequences that bypass normal access controls. When a user submits a RENAME command containing .. sequences in the destination folder path, the system fails to properly sanitize this input, allowing the attacker to navigate outside their designated mailbox hierarchy. This flaw effectively enables privilege escalation and cross-user folder manipulation, as the system processes the traversal sequences without proper authorization checks.
The operational impact of CVE-2006-0127 extends beyond simple folder renaming, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity and confidentiality of email data within the affected mail server infrastructure. An authenticated attacker can leverage this vulnerability to access, modify, or potentially delete folders belonging to other users, leading to unauthorized data access, information disclosure, and potential data corruption. The vulnerability affects the core security model of the mail server by undermining the user isolation mechanisms that should prevent one user from accessing another user's mailbox content. This type of cross-user privilege escalation represents a significant threat to email server security and can result in widespread data compromise within organizations relying on the affected MailSite versions.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement the vendor-provided patch version 6.1.22.1 or later, which addresses the input validation issues in the IMAP service's RENAME command implementation. System administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the exposure of IMAP services to untrusted networks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting. Additionally, this issue demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and the principle of least privilege in maintaining secure email server implementations, as it represents a failure to properly enforce access controls in a multi-user environment.