CVE-2006-3818 in GroupWise WebAccess
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the login page in Novell GroupWise WebAccess 6.5 before 20060721 and WebAccess 7 before 20060727 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the GWAP.version parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/21/2017
The CVE-2006-3818 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in Novell GroupWise WebAccess authentication systems. This vulnerability specifically targets the login page interface of GroupWise WebAccess versions 6.5 prior to 20060721 and version 7 prior to 20060727, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this email access platform. The flaw manifests through improper input validation of the GWAP.version parameter, which is utilized during the authentication process to identify client versions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input within the web application's login handler. When an attacker submits a malicious value through the GWAP.version parameter, the application fails to properly escape or validate this input before incorporating it into the HTML response sent to the user's browser. This oversight creates an environment where arbitrary JavaScript code or HTML content can be injected and executed within the context of a victim's session, effectively bypassing the authentication mechanism and potentially compromising the entire web access system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute malicious code in the victim's browser context. Attackers can leverage this weakness to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, perform actions on behalf of authenticated users, or even escalate privileges within the GroupWise environment. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access to the network or system, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with remote workers or public-facing web access portals. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-site Scripting flaws in web applications.
The attack vector for this vulnerability aligns with the techniques outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059.007 sub-technique for Scripting, where adversaries use web-based scripting to execute malicious payloads. The vulnerability's exploitation typically involves crafting a malicious URL containing the XSS payload within the GWAP.version parameter, which when accessed by an authenticated user, executes the attacker's code within their browser session. Organizations using GroupWise WebAccess were particularly vulnerable as the flaw existed in the core authentication interface, potentially allowing attackers to compromise user sessions and gain unauthorized access to email accounts.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-3818 required immediate patching of affected GroupWise WebAccess installations to versions 20060721 for 6.5 and 20060727 for 7, which included proper input validation and output encoding for the GWAP.version parameter. Additionally, network administrators should implement proper web application firewall rules to detect and block suspicious parameter values, while also considering the deployment of content security policies to prevent script execution. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of input validation in authentication systems and reinforced the need for comprehensive security testing of web interfaces, particularly those handling user credentials and session management functions. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication mechanisms and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other web applications within their infrastructure.