CVE-2007-2513 in GroupWise
Summary
by MITRE
Novell GroupWise 7 before SP2 20070524, and GroupWise 6 before 6.5 post-SP6 20070522, allows remote attackers to obtain credentials via a man-in-the-middle attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-2513 represents a critical security flaw in Novell GroupWise email and collaboration software versions prior to specific service pack releases. This issue affects both GroupWise 7 before SP2 20070524 and GroupWise 6 before 6.5 post-SP6 20070522, creating a persistent risk for organizations relying on these email systems for business communications. The vulnerability specifically enables remote attackers to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks that can result in credential theft, fundamentally compromising the authentication mechanisms of the affected systems. This weakness falls under the category of insufficient transport layer protection, where the system fails to adequately secure communication channels between clients and servers, leaving sensitive authentication data exposed to interception.
The technical flaw manifests through inadequate implementation of secure communication protocols within the GroupWise client-server architecture. When users authenticate to the GroupWise system, their credentials are transmitted over network connections that lack proper encryption and authentication mechanisms. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the network layer where attackers can position themselves between legitimate users and the GroupWise servers to intercept and capture authentication tokens, usernames, and passwords. The man-in-the-middle attack vector exploits the absence of robust certificate validation and encryption enforcement, allowing attackers to seamlessly intercept communications without detection. This flaw aligns with CWE-319, which specifically addresses the exposure of sensitive information through improper use of cryptographic protocols, and represents a classic example of weak transport layer security.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as compromised authentication information can lead to full system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive corporate data. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can gain persistent access to email accounts, potentially accessing confidential communications, personal information, and business-critical data stored within the GroupWise environment. The vulnerability affects organizations across multiple sectors that depend on GroupWise for email services, creating widespread risk for financial institutions, healthcare organizations, and government agencies. The attack requires minimal technical expertise to execute, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by threat actors of varying skill levels. This vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality and integrity of communications, violating fundamental security principles and potentially enabling further attacks such as privilege escalation or lateral movement within compromised networks.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the patched versions of GroupWise 7 SP2 and GroupWise 6.5 SP6 or later, which address the cryptographic weaknesses in the authentication protocols. Network administrators should enforce mandatory encryption requirements for all GroupWise communications and implement certificate pinning mechanisms to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive network monitoring to detect suspicious traffic patterns and credential interception attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing multi-factor authentication as an additional security layer, as outlined in the mitre ATT&CK framework under technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting. Security teams should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar weaknesses in other email systems and network protocols, ensuring that the organization maintains robust security postures against evolving threat landscapes. The remediation process must include thorough testing of updated systems to ensure that security patches do not introduce compatibility issues with existing GroupWise functionalities while maintaining the enhanced cryptographic protections necessary to prevent future exploitation.