CVE-2010-2116 in Secure Mail
Summary
by MITRE
The web interface in McAfee Email Gateway (formerly IronMail) 6.7.1 allows remote authenticated users, with only Read privileges, to gain Write privileges to modify configuration via the save action in a direct request to admin/systemWebAdminConfig.do.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/14/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-2116 represents a critical access control flaw within the web interface of McAfee Email Gateway version 6.7.1, formerly known as IronMail. This issue stems from improper privilege validation mechanisms that allow authenticated users with minimal Read permissions to escalate their privileges and gain Write access to critical system configuration parameters. The vulnerability specifically manifests through a direct request manipulation technique targeting the admin/systemWebAdminConfig.do endpoint, which is part of the administrative web interface designed for system configuration management.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a manipulation of the save action within the administrative web interface. When authenticated users with Read-only privileges submit a direct request to the admin/systemWebAdminConfig.do endpoint, the system fails to properly validate whether the requesting user possesses the necessary Write permissions before executing the configuration modification operations. This represents a classic privilege escalation vulnerability where the system trusts the client-side request without proper server-side authorization checks. The flaw falls under the CWE-285: Improper Authorization category, specifically demonstrating insufficient authorization controls that allow users to perform actions beyond their designated permissions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for organizations utilizing McAfee Email Gateway 6.7.1. An attacker with minimal Read access could potentially modify critical email security policies, adjust spam filtering rules, alter user permissions, and compromise the overall email security posture of the organization. This vulnerability essentially allows an attacker to elevate their privileges from Read-only to full administrative access, enabling them to modify system configurations, potentially redirect email traffic, disable security features, or establish persistent access points within the email infrastructure. The implications extend beyond simple configuration changes as these modifications could lead to complete compromise of the email gateway's security controls and potentially provide a foothold for further attacks within the network.
The vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK framework techniques including privilege escalation through manipulation of application logic and persistence mechanisms. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish long-term access by modifying configuration settings that control email routing, user access controls, or security policy enforcement. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including patching to the latest available version of McAfee Email Gateway, implementing network segmentation to limit access to administrative interfaces, and enforcing strict access controls through role-based permissions. Additionally, monitoring for unusual administrative requests to configuration endpoints and implementing proper input validation and authorization checks can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper privilege validation in web applications and demonstrates how seemingly minor authorization flaws can lead to complete system compromise.