CVE-2008-1690 in SLMail Pro
Summary
by MITRE
WebContainer.exe 1.0.0.336 and earlier in SLMail Pro 6.3.1.0 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption and daemon crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a long URI in HTTP requests to TCP port 801. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1690 affects the WebContainer.exe component within SLMail Pro version 6.3.1.0 and earlier installations. This flaw resides in the HTTP daemon service that listens on TCP port 801, making it accessible to remote attackers without authentication requirements. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the web server component, specifically when processing HTTP requests containing excessively long Uniform Resource Identifiers. This represents a classic buffer overflow condition where the application fails to properly bounds-check incoming URI data before processing it within memory structures. The flaw manifests as a memory corruption issue that can lead to daemon crashes or potentially allow remote code execution depending on exploitation conditions and system configurations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting specially malformed HTTP requests with URIs exceeding normal length parameters that the WebContainer.exe service cannot handle gracefully. When the service attempts to process these excessively long URI strings, it overflows allocated memory buffers, causing unpredictable behavior that may result in application termination or memory corruption that could be leveraged for code execution. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers stack-based buffer overflow scenarios. The operational impact extends beyond simple denial of service as the memory corruption could potentially provide attackers with opportunities to inject and execute malicious code within the context of the running web server process. Attackers could exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to the system, escalate privileges, or establish persistent backdoors through the compromised web service.
The security implications of CVE-2008-1690 are particularly concerning given that SLMail Pro was designed as a comprehensive email server solution with web-based management capabilities. The fact that this vulnerability affects a component listening on TCP port 801 means that attackers can potentially exploit it remotely without requiring local system access or prior authentication. This characteristic places the vulnerability in the ATT&CK framework under the T1210 technique for exploitation of remote services, with potential for privilege escalation through T1068. The memory corruption aspect of the vulnerability aligns with T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the compromised system. Organizations running affected versions of SLMail Pro face significant risk exposure, particularly in environments where the web management interface is accessible from untrusted networks or where default configurations leave the service exposed to external scanning and attack attempts.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected SLMail Pro installations to version 6.3.2.0 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the buffer overflow conditions. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to restrict access to TCP port 801, limiting exposure to authorized users only. Firewall rules should be configured to block external access to this port unless absolutely necessary for legitimate administrative purposes. Additionally, implementing intrusion detection systems capable of identifying malformed HTTP requests with suspicious URI lengths can provide early warning of exploitation attempts. System hardening practices including disabling unnecessary services, implementing application whitelisting, and conducting regular security audits should complement these technical controls. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous traffic patterns associated with buffer overflow exploitation attempts, as these attacks often generate specific network signatures that can be used for detection and prevention. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and bounds checking in web server implementations, particularly when handling user-supplied data from network sources.