CVE-2009-4076 in Roundcube
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Roundcube Webmail 0.2.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of unspecified users for requests that modify user information via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2009-4077.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/23/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-4076 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within Roundcube Webmail version 0.2.2 and earlier systems. This CSRF vulnerability operates by exploiting the trust relationship between web applications and user browsers, enabling malicious actors to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users without their knowledge or consent. The vulnerability specifically targets the modification of user information, making it particularly dangerous for webmail systems where user data integrity is paramount. Unlike CVE-2009-4077 which addressed different attack vectors, this particular flaw focuses on the manipulation of user account settings and personal information through forged requests.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper request validation mechanisms within Roundcube's authentication and authorization framework. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or send specially crafted requests that exploit the trust relationship between the victim's browser and the Roundcube application. These forged requests appear legitimate to the webmail system because they contain valid session tokens and authentication credentials, allowing them to execute operations such as changing passwords, modifying email settings, or altering user preferences. The vulnerability manifests when the application fails to verify the origin of requests or implement anti-CSRF tokens, making it possible for attackers to leverage the victim's authenticated session for unauthorized modifications.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on Roundcube Webmail for their email services. The potential impact includes unauthorized account takeovers, data manipulation, and information disclosure that could compromise sensitive communications. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to silently change user passwords, redirect email forwarding, or modify spam filtering settings, potentially leading to persistent access to compromised accounts. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that the attack surface may be broader than initially apparent, encompassing various modification operations within the webmail interface. This type of vulnerability directly violates security principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, specifically addressing the risk of CSRF attacks that undermine web application security.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-4076 involve implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms within the Roundcube application. Organizations should deploy unique, unpredictable tokens for each user session that must be validated with every state-changing request. The implementation of proper referer header checking and origin validation can further strengthen defenses against such attacks. Additionally, ensuring that all modification operations require explicit user confirmation through secondary authentication mechanisms provides an additional layer of protection. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery, and corresponds to techniques documented in the ATT&CK framework under T1566 for credential access through social engineering and T1078 for valid accounts usage. Regular security updates and patch management processes should be implemented to address such vulnerabilities promptly, as the affected version 0.2.2 represents an outdated release that lacks modern security controls. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious request patterns that may indicate CSRF attack attempts.