CVE-2007-4172 in Open Webmail
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Open Webmail (OWM) 2.52 20060831 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) searchtype, (2) longpage, and (3) page parameters to (a) openwebmail-main.pl; the (4) prefs_caller, (5) userfirsttime, (6) page, (7) sort, (8) folder, and (9) message_id parameters to (b) openwebmail-prefs.pl; the (10) compose_caller, (11) msgdatetype, (12) keyword, (13) searchtype, (14) folder, (15) page, and (16) sort parameters to (c) openwebmail-send.pl; the (17) folder, (18) page, and (19) sort parameters to (d) openwebmail-folder.pl; the (20) searchtype, (21) page, (22) filesort, (23) singlepage, (24) showhidden, (25) showthumbnail, and (26) message_id parameters to (e) openwebmail-webdisk.pl; the (27) folder parameteter to (f) openwebmail-advsearch.pl; and the (28) abookcollapse, (29) abooksearchtype, (30) abooksort, (31) abooklongpage, (32) abookpage, (33) message_id, (34) searchtype, (35) msgdatetype, (36) sort, (37) page, (38) rootxowmuid, and (39) listviewmode parameters to (g) openwebmail-abook.pl, different vectors than CVE-2005-2863, CVE-2006-2190, CVE-2006-3229, and CVE-2006-3233.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/25/2017
The CVE-2007-4172 vulnerability represents a significant cross-site scripting flaw affecting Open Webmail version 2.52 and earlier, presenting multiple attack vectors across several core application modules. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, where the application fails to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into dynamic web content. The flaw manifests in the handling of various HTTP parameters across multiple Perl scripts that constitute the Open Webmail application suite, specifically targeting the main application interface, preferences management, message composition, folder navigation, web disk functionality, and address book operations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when remote attackers inject malicious JavaScript code or HTML content through the numerous vulnerable parameters identified in the affected scripts. These parameters include searchtype, longpage, page, prefs_caller, userfirsttime, sort, folder, message_id, compose_caller, msgdatetype, keyword, and numerous others across the different application modules. The vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's parameter processing logic, allowing attackers to bypass security controls and execute arbitrary scripts in the context of the victim's browser session.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-4172 is substantial, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal user credentials, deface webmail interfaces, or redirect users to malicious websites. The attack vectors span multiple application modules, increasing the attack surface and making it more difficult for administrators to implement comprehensive protection measures. Attackers could leverage these vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to user mailboxes, modify email content, or harvest sensitive information from authenticated sessions. The vulnerability's persistence across different functional areas of Open Webmail means that a single exploitation attempt could potentially compromise multiple application components.
Security mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all user-controllable parameters. The recommended approach includes sanitizing all input data using established encoding techniques such as HTML entity encoding, implementing Content Security Policy headers, and ensuring proper parameter validation at multiple layers of the application architecture. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads, conducting regular security assessments of web applications, and ensuring timely patching of known vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.007 for Scripting and T1566.001 for Spearphishing Attachments, highlighting the need for comprehensive defensive measures. Given the age of this vulnerability and the specific parameters involved, administrators should prioritize immediate remediation through software updates or implementing compensating controls to protect against exploitation attempts.