CVE-2007-3635 in Squirrelmail
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in the G/PGP (GPG) Plugin before 2.1 for Squirrelmail might allow "local authenticated users" to inject certain commands via unspecified vectors. NOTE: this might overlap CVE-2005-1924, CVE-2006-4169, or CVE-2007-3634.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-3635 affects the GPG plugin for Squirrelmail email client software prior to version 2.1. This represents a significant security weakness that could potentially allow local authenticated users to execute unauthorized commands within the system. The issue stems from unspecified vectors that enable command injection attacks, making it particularly dangerous as it operates within the context of an authenticated user session. The vulnerability specifically targets the GPG plugin functionality which is designed to provide encryption and digital signature capabilities for email communications, creating a potential attack surface that could be exploited by malicious users with legitimate access to the system.
The technical flaw manifests through command injection mechanisms that occur when the GPG plugin processes user input without proper sanitization or validation. This allows authenticated users to manipulate the plugin's behavior by injecting malicious commands through unspecified input vectors. The nature of command injection vulnerabilities typically involves the execution of arbitrary code on the target system, potentially leading to privilege escalation, data compromise, or system control. Given that this affects a plugin within Squirrelmail, the attack surface extends to email processing functions where GPG encryption and decryption operations are performed, creating opportunities for attackers to leverage the authenticated session for unauthorized system access.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to email security infrastructure that relies on Squirrelmail with GPG plugin functionality. Local authenticated users who already possess legitimate access to the system can exploit this weakness to execute commands that they would not normally be authorized to run. The potential impact includes unauthorized access to sensitive email communications, data exfiltration, modification of email content, and possible privilege escalation within the email server environment. The vulnerability's classification as affecting "local authenticated users" suggests that the attack requires the attacker to first obtain valid credentials or access to the system, but once achieved, could provide substantial control over the email processing capabilities.
The overlap with other CVE identifiers including CVE-2005-1924, CVE-2006-4169, and CVE-2007-3634 indicates that this represents part of a broader set of vulnerabilities affecting the same software component. This pattern of overlapping vulnerabilities often suggests systemic issues within the software's input handling mechanisms or security architecture. The CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) classification for command injection vulnerabilities typically falls under weakness category 77 and 78, which directly relates to the execution of unauthorized commands through improper input validation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability would map to techniques involving command and scripting interpreter execution, privilege escalation, and potentially credential access through local system manipulation.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate software updates to version 2.1 or later of the GPG plugin for Squirrelmail, which would address the underlying command injection vulnerabilities. Organizations should implement strict input validation and sanitization measures within the email processing pipeline, ensuring that all user inputs are properly escaped or filtered before being processed by the GPG plugin. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit local access to email servers, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect unusual command execution patterns. Additionally, security awareness training for system administrators and users can help prevent unauthorized access that could lead to exploitation of this vulnerability. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues in other email client components and plugins.