CVE-2007-6714 in DBMail
Summary
by MITRE
DBMail before 2.2.9, when using authldap with an LDAP server that supports anonymous login such as Active Directory, allows remote attackers to bypass authentication via an empty password, which causes the LDAP bind to indicate success based on anonymous authentication.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-6714 affects DBMail versions prior to 2.2.9 when configured with LDAP authentication and specifically when connecting to LDAP servers that support anonymous login capabilities such as Microsoft Active Directory. This represents a critical authentication bypass flaw that fundamentally undermines the security posture of systems relying on LDAP-based user authentication. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of authentication credentials during the LDAP bind operation, where the system fails to properly validate that a valid user password was provided before granting access.
The technical flaw manifests when DBMail attempts to authenticate users against an LDAP directory service that permits anonymous binding operations. In such environments, an attacker can exploit the system's failure to enforce proper password validation by simply providing an empty password string during the authentication process. When the LDAP server receives this empty password, it interprets it as an anonymous bind request and grants access to the directory, effectively bypassing the intended authentication mechanism. This occurs because the application does not distinguish between legitimate authentication attempts with empty passwords versus anonymous binds that should be rejected for security purposes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for organizations using DBMail with LDAP authentication. Attackers can gain unauthorized access to email services without needing valid credentials, potentially leading to full email account compromise, data exfiltration, and unauthorized email sending capabilities. The vulnerability affects any system where DBMail is configured with authldap functionality and communicates with LDAP servers that permit anonymous access, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Active Directory or similar directory services are commonly used. This authentication bypass can be exploited remotely, meaning that attackers do not require physical access or network proximity to the system to exploit the vulnerability.
Organizations should immediately update their DBMail installations to version 2.2.9 or later to address this vulnerability. Additionally, administrators should review their LDAP server configurations to ensure that anonymous binding is disabled or properly restricted, particularly for directory services that should not permit anonymous access. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure, while monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual authentication patterns. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential access through social engineering or authentication bypass methods. The fix implemented in DBMail 2.2.9 involves proper validation of authentication credentials to ensure that empty passwords are rejected before attempting LDAP bind operations, thereby preventing the unintended anonymous authentication behavior.