CVE-2006-0790 in MailSite
Summary
by MITRE
Rockliffe MailSite 7.0 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service by sending crafted LDAP packets to port 389/TCP, as demonstrated by the ProtoVer LDAP testsuite.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/19/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-0790 affects Rockliffe MailSite versions 7.0 and earlier, presenting a significant remote denial of service risk through improper handling of LDAP protocol communications. This flaw manifests when the system receives specially crafted LDAP packets on the standard LDAP port 389/tcp, creating a condition where legitimate service operations become disrupted or completely halted. The vulnerability was demonstrated using the ProtoVer LDAP testsuite, which systematically exploits the protocol parsing mechanisms to trigger the denial of service condition. The attack vector requires no authentication and can be executed from any remote location capable of reaching the target system's LDAP port, making it particularly dangerous for networked environments where MailSite services are exposed to external networks.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient input validation and error handling within MailSite's LDAP processing components. When the system receives malformed or crafted LDAP packets, the application fails to properly sanitize or reject these inputs, leading to unexpected behavior that ultimately results in service disruption. This represents a classic example of inadequate protocol handling where the software does not implement proper bounds checking or state management for incoming LDAP communications. The flaw can be categorized under CWE-20, "Improper Input Validation," and specifically relates to CWE-129, "Improper Validation of Array Index," as the system likely fails to validate the size or structure of incoming LDAP packet elements before processing them. The vulnerability demonstrates a lack of robust error handling mechanisms that should be implemented according to secure coding practices outlined in industry standards.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service interruption, as it can severely affect email communication infrastructure that relies on MailSite services. Organizations using affected versions may experience complete email service outages, particularly during peak usage periods when LDAP queries are most frequent. The remote nature of the attack means that even systems with firewalled environments could be compromised if port 389 is accessible, as the vulnerability does not require authentication credentials to exploit. This makes it particularly dangerous for environments where MailSite services are exposed to the internet or where internal network segmentation is insufficient. The vulnerability can be exploited by automated scanning tools or malicious actors seeking to disrupt business operations, potentially causing significant financial and operational damage to affected organizations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected MailSite installations to version 7.1 or later, where the LDAP processing has been corrected to properly handle malformed packets. Network administrators should implement firewall rules to restrict access to port 389/tcp, limiting connections to trusted sources only and blocking external access to LDAP services. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can monitor for unusual LDAP traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, "Endpoint Denial of Service," and represents a critical security gap that requires immediate attention. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify other potential protocol handling issues within the email infrastructure, as similar vulnerabilities may exist in other components of the MailSite system or related services.