CVE-2008-2667 in openSUSE
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in the Courier Authentication Library (aka courier-authlib) before 0.60.6 on SUSE openSUSE 10.3 and 11.0, and other platforms, when MySQL and a non-Latin character set are used, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the username and unspecified other vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/12/2019
The CVE-2008-2667 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the Courier Authentication Library, a widely deployed component for email server authentication across various Unix-like systems including SUSE openSUSE 10.3 and 11.0. This vulnerability specifically manifests when the library operates with MySQL database backends and non-Latin character sets, creating a dangerous condition where attacker-controlled input can be improperly processed and executed as SQL commands. The flaw exists in the authentication handling mechanism of courier-authlib, which is responsible for managing user credentials and authentication processes for email services such as POP3 and IMAP servers. The vulnerability's exploitation potential is significantly amplified by the combination of MySQL database usage with non-Latin character sets, which introduces additional parsing complexity that can be manipulated by attackers to bypass normal input sanitization measures.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and parameter binding within the courier-authlib's database query construction process. When users authenticate through email services that utilize this library with MySQL and non-Latin character sets, the system fails to properly escape or sanitize special characters in user input before incorporating them into SQL queries. This oversight creates multiple attack vectors, with username fields being the primary target but potentially extending to other unspecified input parameters within the authentication flow. The vulnerability specifically leverages the interaction between MySQL's character set handling and the library's query construction methods, where certain character sequences can be interpreted as SQL syntax rather than literal data, allowing attackers to inject malicious SQL commands that execute with the privileges of the database user account used by courier-authlib.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for organizations relying on email infrastructure that utilizes courier-authlib with MySQL databases. Remote attackers can execute arbitrary SQL commands, potentially leading to complete database compromise, data exfiltration, and unauthorized access to user credentials stored in the email system. Attackers may escalate privileges to gain access to the underlying database, extract sensitive user information including email addresses and potentially passwords, or even modify or delete authentication records. The vulnerability affects not only individual email accounts but could potentially allow attackers to establish persistent access to email services, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with large email user bases. Given that courier-authlib is a core component of many email server implementations, the impact extends beyond single systems to entire email infrastructures, potentially affecting thousands of users and email domains simultaneously.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including upgrading to courier-authlib version 0.60.6 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the input validation issues. System administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as database query parameterization, input sanitization at multiple layers, and network segmentation to limit access to database servers. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws, and represents a classic example of improper input validation that enables code injection attacks. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access and privilege escalation through database exploitation, with potential for lateral movement within networks where email services are integrated with other systems. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify systems running vulnerable versions of courier-authlib, while implementing proper monitoring for suspicious database access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.