CVE-2006-1944 in CommuniMail
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in SibSoft CommuniMail 1.2 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the list_id parameter in mailadmin.cgi and (2) the form_id parameter in templates.cgi.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/20/2024
The CVE-2006-1944 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness found in SibSoft CommuniMail version 1.2 and earlier systems. This vulnerability exposes the application to malicious injection attacks that can compromise user sessions and data integrity. The flaw specifically affects two distinct input parameters within the application's administrative interface, creating multiple attack vectors for remote threat actors seeking to exploit the system. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that allows attackers to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the mailadmin.cgi and templates.cgi scripts. When the list_id parameter in mailadmin.cgi receives unvalidated user input, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape the data before incorporating it into web responses. Similarly, the form_id parameter in templates.cgi exhibits the same deficiency, allowing malicious scripts to be embedded directly into the application's output. These parameters are processed without proper context-aware encoding, creating opportunities for attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes in the browsers of unsuspecting users. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic lack of input sanitization practices that are fundamental to secure web application development.
The operational impact of CVE-2006-1944 extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user credentials, and manipulate application functionality. Remote attackers can craft malicious URLs containing script payloads that, when clicked by authenticated users, execute in their browser context and can redirect them to phishing sites or exfiltrate session cookies. The vulnerability affects the administrative interface of CommuniMail, which means that successful exploitation could provide attackers with access to email lists, user management capabilities, and potentially sensitive communication data. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where the application handles confidential information or serves as a gateway to corporate email systems. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that these vulnerabilities exist in the core administrative components of the system.
Security mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-1944 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the affected applications. The primary defense involves sanitizing all user-supplied input parameters before they are processed or rendered in web responses, utilizing context-specific encoding techniques such as HTML entity encoding for output. Organizations should implement parameterized queries and input validation routines that reject or escape potentially malicious content before it can be processed by the application. Additionally, the implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against script execution. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and the ATT&CK framework's web application attack patterns. System administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads attempting to exploit these parameters, while regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components.