CVE-2008-3061 in V-webmail
Summary
by MITRE
Open redirect vulnerability in redirect.php in V-webmail 1.5.0 allows remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via a URL in the to parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/10/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-3061 represents a critical open redirect flaw within the V-webmail 1.5.0 email client software. This security weakness resides in the redirect.php script which fails to properly validate or sanitize URL parameters before processing user redirection requests. The vulnerability specifically affects the to parameter handling within the redirect functionality, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate the redirection behavior. The flaw enables attackers to craft malicious URLs that, when clicked by unsuspecting users, will redirect them to arbitrary web addresses controlled by the attacker rather than the legitimate destination intended by the webmail application.
This open redirect vulnerability operates by exploiting the lack of input validation in the redirect.php script's parameter processing mechanism. When a user accesses a specially crafted URL containing a malicious to parameter, the application processes this input without proper sanitization or verification of the target URL's legitimacy. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-601 category of URL Redirect to Untrusted Site, which specifically addresses the risk of applications redirecting users to potentially malicious external domains without proper validation. The flaw represents a classic example of improper input validation where user-supplied data is directly incorporated into redirection logic without adequate security checks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple redirection, creating significant risk for phishing and social engineering attacks. Attackers can leverage this weakness to construct deceptive URLs that appear legitimate within the context of the V-webmail application while secretly redirecting users to malicious sites designed to capture credentials or install malware. The vulnerability enables attackers to bypass user security awareness by making the redirection appear to originate from a trusted source within the webmail environment. This creates a particularly dangerous scenario where users may unknowingly provide sensitive information to attackers who have successfully impersonated legitimate services through the redirect mechanism.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1566 for phishing and T1071 for application layer protocol usage. The attack chain typically involves crafting malicious URLs that exploit the redirect functionality, distributing these through various channels such as email or compromised websites, and then monitoring user interactions to capture credentials or sensitive data. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of implementing proper input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied data that influences application behavior. Organizations using V-webmail 1.5.0 or similar applications should immediately implement patch management procedures to address this vulnerability, as the risk of successful exploitation remains high given the ease of crafting malicious URLs that leverage this flaw.
The remediation approach for CVE-2008-3061 requires implementing strict URL validation and sanitization within the redirect.php script. Security measures should include validating that redirected URLs conform to expected patterns, implementing whitelisting of approved domains, and ensuring that any user-supplied URL parameters undergo thorough sanitization before being processed. The solution must enforce proper input validation techniques that prevent attackers from injecting malicious URLs into the redirection logic. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as domain-based message authentication, reporting, and conformance mechanisms to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of validating all user inputs and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against common web application security flaws that can be easily exploited by threat actors.