CVE-2009-3748 in Personal Email Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the Web Administrator in Websense Personal Email Manager 7.1 before Hotfix 4 and Email Security 7.1 before Hotfix 4 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) FileName, (2) IsolatedMessageID, (3) ServerName, (4) Dictionary, (5) Scoring, and (6) MessagePart parameters to web/msgList/viewmsg/actions/msgAnalyse.asp; the (7) Queue, (8) FileName, (9) IsolatedMessageID, and (10) ServerName parameters to actions/msgForwardToRiskFilter.asp and viewHeaders.asp in web/msgList/viewmsg/; and (11) the subject in an e-mail message that is held in a Queue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/10/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2009-3748 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness affecting Websense Personal Email Manager and Email Security products. This vulnerability resides within the Web Administrator interface of these security tools, creating a significant attack surface that allows remote adversaries to execute malicious scripts within the context of authenticated user sessions. The flaw specifically impacts versions 7.1 before Hotfix 4, indicating that the vendor had identified and addressed this issue through subsequent patches. The vulnerability's presence in core administrative functions means that attackers could potentially compromise the security posture of email systems managed through these tools, as the Web Administrator interface typically requires elevated privileges and access to sensitive system configurations.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability spans multiple endpoints within the Websense web interface, specifically targeting several parameters across different ASP pages. The affected parameters include FileName, IsolatedMessageID, ServerName, Dictionary, Scoring, and MessagePart in the msgAnalyse.asp page, while additional parameters like Queue, FileName, IsolatedMessageID, and ServerName are vulnerable in msgForwardToRiskFilter.asp and viewHeaders.asp pages within the web/msgList/viewmsg/ directory structure. The inclusion of the email message subject parameter in the Queue handling further extends the attack vector, as it suggests that the vulnerability can be exploited through the content of actual email messages rather than just administrative parameters. This multi-vector approach significantly increases the exploitability and potential impact of the vulnerability.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a serious risk for organizations relying on Websense email security solutions, as it allows attackers to inject malicious code that could persistently affect authenticated users within the administrative interface. The attack requires minimal privileges since the vulnerability exists in the web interface accessible to authenticated users, potentially enabling attackers to escalate their privileges or gain unauthorized access to email security configurations. The fact that the vulnerability affects both message analysis and forwarding functions means that an attacker could manipulate email workflows, potentially redirecting malicious content through the security system or altering the behavior of email filtering mechanisms. This represents a significant bypass of security controls that organizations depend upon for email protection.
The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79 Cross-site Scripting and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, as it enables attackers to execute malicious JavaScript code within the browser context of legitimate users. Organizations using these Websense products face risks including session hijacking, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within their network infrastructure if attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access. The impact extends beyond simple script injection, as the administrative interface typically contains sensitive configuration data and monitoring capabilities that could be exploited to undermine the overall security posture. Security practitioners should note that this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and output encoding in web applications, particularly in administrative interfaces where privilege escalation risks are heightened. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of how seemingly minor input validation gaps can create significant security risks in enterprise security tools that are designed to protect against exactly these types of attacks.