CVE-2009-4353 in Active! mail
Summary
by MITRE
The Mobile Edition of TransWARE Active! mail 2003 build 2003.0139.0871 and earlier, and possibly other versions before 2003.0139.0911, does not remove the session ID in a Referer URL, which allows remote attackers to hijack web sessions via vectors such as an email with an embedded URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/17/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2009-4353 represents a critical session management flaw in the Mobile Edition of TransWARE Active! mail 2003 software. This issue affects versions prior to build 2003.0139.0911 and demonstrates a fundamental failure in web application security practices. The flaw specifically manifests when the application processes HTTP requests and fails to properly sanitize the Referer header by removing session identifiers before forwarding or displaying them. This behavior creates a dangerous attack surface that can be exploited by malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to user sessions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and output sanitization within the web interface components of the mobile email client. When users click on embedded URLs or navigate through the application, the session ID remains present in the Referer header that gets transmitted to external servers. This occurs because the application does not implement proper session ID scrubbing mechanisms before including the Referer URL in subsequent requests or logging activities. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it operates at the HTTP protocol level where session tokens are often passed in URL parameters or headers, making them susceptible to interception and misuse.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability exposes users to significant session hijacking risks that can result in unauthorized access to email accounts and potentially sensitive corporate data. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious emails containing embedded URLs that reference the vulnerable application with active session IDs. When victims click these links, the session information gets leaked through the Referer header to the attacker's server, enabling them to impersonate the victim and gain full access to their email communications. This type of attack aligns with the common exploitation patterns documented in the attack technique category of credential access and privilege escalation. The vulnerability essentially violates the principle of least privilege by allowing session information to be transmitted in cleartext through headers that are typically not intended to contain sensitive data.
The security implications extend beyond simple session hijacking to encompass broader privacy and data protection concerns. Organizations relying on this email client for mobile communications face potential data breaches that could compromise confidential business information, personal communications, and potentially regulatory compliance requirements. The vulnerability's impact is amplified in enterprise environments where mobile email access is common and sensitive data is frequently transmitted through these channels. According to CWE classification, this represents a weakness in session management where sensitive information is improperly handled in HTTP headers, specifically categorized under CWE-613. The remediation approach requires implementing proper header sanitization mechanisms and ensuring that session identifiers are stripped from Referer headers before they are processed or transmitted to external resources. This vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to the principle of input validation as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten security principles. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management strategies and consider deploying additional network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. The issue underscores the necessity for regular security assessments of mobile applications and the critical need for proper session management protocols to prevent such information leakage vulnerabilities.