CVE-2008-7202 in OpenWebMail
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in OpenWebMail before 2.53 (Stable) allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/19/2019
The CVE-2008-7202 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in OpenWebMail versions prior to 2.53, specifically targeting cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that enable remote attackers to execute malicious code through web interfaces. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security issues. The vulnerability exists in the web-based email client software that was widely used in enterprise and organizational environments during the late 2000s, making it a significant concern for system administrators and security professionals who managed email infrastructure.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the OpenWebMail application's web interface components. Attackers could exploit this weakness by injecting malicious scripts or HTML code through unspecified vectors within the application's user input fields, form submissions, or parameter handling mechanisms. The vulnerability's classification as a remote attack vector means that malicious actors could exploit it without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where the application is accessible to external users. The lack of specific details about the exact injection points in the original description suggests that the vulnerability may have affected multiple components of the application's web interface.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-7202 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as XSS vulnerabilities can serve as launching points for more sophisticated attacks. An attacker could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, inject backdoors, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability's presence in OpenWebMail, which was commonly used for business email services, could have resulted in unauthorized access to sensitive corporate communications, data breaches, and potential compromise of entire email infrastructure. Organizations using vulnerable versions of OpenWebMail were at risk of having their email systems hijacked, leading to potential financial losses, regulatory compliance violations, and damage to reputation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate patching and upgrading to OpenWebMail version 2.53 or later, which would contain the necessary security fixes. System administrators should also implement additional defensive measures including input validation, output encoding, and web application firewalls to protect against similar vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes such vulnerabilities under the T1190 technique for Exploit Public-Facing Application, emphasizing the need for comprehensive application security testing and regular vulnerability assessments. Organizations should also conduct security awareness training for users to recognize potential XSS attack vectors and implement proper security monitoring to detect suspicious activities in their email systems. Given the age of this vulnerability, it serves as a historical example of how quickly web applications can become vulnerable to attacks, underscoring the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing robust security practices throughout the software development lifecycle.