CVE-2010-3407 in Lotus Domino
Summary
by MITRE
Stack-based buffer overflow in the MailCheck821Address function in nnotes.dll in the nrouter.exe service in the server in IBM Lotus Domino 8.0.x before 8.0.2 FP5 and 8.5.x before 8.5.1 FP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long e-mail address in an ORGANIZER:mailto header in an iCalendar calendar-invitation e-mail message, aka SPR NRBY7ZPJ9V.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/21/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3407 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw within IBM Lotus Domino's email processing functionality. This vulnerability specifically affects the MailCheck821Address function located in the nnotes.dll library, which is part of the nrouter.exe service responsible for email routing on the Domino server. The flaw manifests when processing iCalendar calendar invitation messages containing specially crafted ORGANIZER:mailto headers with excessively long email addresses, creating a condition where attacker-controlled data exceeds the allocated buffer space on the stack.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the email address parsing routine. When the nrouter.exe service processes incoming calendar invitations, it fails to properly bounds-check the length of email addresses specified in the ORGANIZER header. This oversight allows an attacker to craft malicious calendar invitations containing email addresses that exceed the predetermined buffer size, resulting in stack corruption that can be exploited to overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses and function pointers. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no authentication to exploit, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where email services are accessible to unauthenticated users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it provides attackers with potential for complete system compromise. Successful exploitation could enable remote code execution with the privileges of the nrouter.exe service account, which typically runs with elevated permissions on Domino servers. This could result in unauthorized access to sensitive email data, privilege escalation to administrative accounts, and potential lateral movement within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of IBM Lotus Domino, specifically those in the 8.0.x series before 8.0.2 FP5 and 8.5.x series before 8.5.1 FP2, representing a substantial portion of the deployed user base at the time of discovery.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates, which address the buffer overflow through proper input validation and bounds checking mechanisms. Network segmentation and email filtering solutions should be deployed to reduce exposure, while monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious email traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, a well-documented weakness that frequently appears in legacy applications where input validation was not adequately implemented. From an adversary perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 Command and Scripting Interpreter: Python, as attackers could potentially leverage the remote code execution capability to deploy additional payloads or establish persistent access through automated exploitation frameworks. Security teams should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems capable of identifying the specific patterns associated with this vulnerability, particularly in monitoring for unusually long email addresses in calendar invitation headers, as this represents a common exploitation vector that could be automated by threat actors seeking to compromise Domino server infrastructure.