CVE-2007-0953 in @mail Webmail
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in search.pl in @Mail 4.61 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the keywords parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/10/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0953 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the @Mail web application version 4.61 and earlier. This security weakness resides in the search.pl script which processes user input through the keywords parameter, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability operates at the application layer where user-supplied data is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered in web pages, making it susceptible to injection attacks that can compromise user sessions and data integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the @Mail application's search functionality. When users submit search queries through the keywords parameter, the application fails to properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This lack of proper sanitization creates a persistent XSS vector that allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that execute in the victim's browser context. The vulnerability is classified as reflected XSS since the malicious script is embedded in the search parameter and executed when the page containing the search results is rendered. This weakness directly maps to CWE-79 which defines the common weakness of cross-site scripting in web applications where untrusted data is improperly handled.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it enables attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user information, and manipulate the application's functionality. An attacker could craft a malicious search query that, when clicked by a victim, would execute malicious JavaScript code that could steal cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or modify application behavior. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the Mail system since it allows unauthorized access to user sessions and potentially enables further exploitation within the application's attack surface. This weakness creates a persistent threat vector that remains active as long as the vulnerable version of Mail remains deployed, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently interact with the search functionality.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-0953 should prioritize immediate patching of the @Mail application to version 4.62 or later where the vulnerability has been addressed. Organizations should implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms that sanitize all user-supplied data before processing or rendering. The solution involves implementing a whitelist approach for acceptable characters in search parameters and ensuring that all dynamic content is properly escaped before insertion into HTML contexts. Security measures should include deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious search parameters, implementing content security policies to prevent script execution, and conducting regular security testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. Additionally, user education regarding suspicious links and search queries can help reduce the impact of successful exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and output encoding as fundamental security controls that align with the defensive techniques outlined in the attack mitigation framework, specifically addressing the need to prevent code injection attacks that compromise web application security.