CVE-2007-0887 in Axigen Mail Server
Summary
by MITRE
axigen 1.2.6 through 2.0.0b1 does not properly parse login credentials, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL dereference and application crash) via a base64-encoded "*\x00" sequence on the imap port (143/tcp).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0887 affects Axigen email server versions 1.2.6 through 2.0.0b1, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's handling of authentication credentials. This issue manifests specifically when the application processes login attempts through the IMAP protocol on port 143/tcp, creating a pathway for remote attackers to exploit the system's authentication parsing mechanism. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the authentication processing pipeline, where the system fails to properly sanitize or validate base64-encoded credentials before attempting to process them.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a NULL dereference condition that occurs when the Axigen server encounters a specially crafted base64-encoded sequence consisting of an asterisk followed by a null character "*". When this malformed sequence is transmitted to the IMAP service, the application's credential parsing routine attempts to access memory locations that have not been properly initialized or allocated, resulting in an application crash. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of improper input validation as classified by CWE-20, specifically manifesting as a NULL pointer dereference CWE-476, which represents a fundamental flaw in memory management and input sanitization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it enables remote attackers to execute a denial of service attack against the email server infrastructure. The application crash resulting from this exploitation can lead to complete service unavailability, affecting email communication for all users relying on the Axigen server. This vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires no authentication to exploit, making it accessible to any remote attacker who can connect to the exposed IMAP port. The attack vector operates entirely through network communication, leveraging the inherent trust placed in legitimate authentication protocols to deliver malicious payloads that trigger system instability.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and denial of service tactics, as the flaw enables an attacker to compromise system availability without requiring elevated privileges. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution risk, though limited to denial of service, demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in network-facing applications. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including patching to the latest available versions of Axigen, network segmentation to restrict access to the IMAP port, and implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious authentication patterns. Additionally, the vulnerability highlights the necessity of robust error handling and memory management practices in server applications, particularly those handling authentication credentials, which aligns with security standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.