CVE-2008-2379 in SquirrelMail
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in SquirrelMail before 1.4.17 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted hyperlink in an HTML part of an e-mail message.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/21/2019
The CVE-2008-2379 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in SquirrelMail versions prior to 1.4.17, exposing users to significant security risks through email-based attack vectors. This vulnerability specifically targets the email client's handling of HTML content within email messages, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code in the context of a victim's browser session. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the SquirrelMail application's HTML rendering engine, which fails to properly sanitize user-supplied content before displaying it to end users.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting as a code injection flaw where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. Attackers exploit this weakness by crafting malicious email messages containing specially formatted hyperlinks or HTML content that, when viewed by a victim using an affected SquirrelMail version, executes unintended code in the victim's browser. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be leveraged to perform session hijacking, defacement of user interfaces, or redirection to malicious websites, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where email remains a primary communication channel.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it enables attackers to establish persistent footholds within organizational networks through social engineering campaigns that exploit user trust in email communications. When users receive compromised emails, their browsers execute the injected scripts, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive email accounts, data exfiltration, or further exploitation through techniques such as credential theft or malware delivery. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of email communications, particularly when users are unaware of the malicious content within email messages. This makes it a significant concern for organizations that rely heavily on email-based communication and lack robust email security measures or user education programs.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-2379 primarily focus on immediate patching of affected SquirrelMail installations to version 1.4.17 or later, which includes proper HTML sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should also implement email security gateways that scan incoming messages for malicious content, deploy web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious requests, and establish user awareness training programs to recognize potentially malicious email content. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing content security policies that restrict script execution within email clients and configure email clients to disable inline HTML rendering when possible, as outlined in various security frameworks including the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and MITRE ATT&CK framework's techniques for credential access and defense evasion. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and output encoding practices as recommended in secure coding standards and security best practices for web application development.