CVE-2010-4716 in GroupWise
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the WebPublisher component in Novell GroupWise before 8.02HP allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2019
The CVE-2010-4716 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Novell GroupWise's WebPublisher component, affecting versions prior to 8.02HP. This vulnerability exposes organizations to significant security risks through the exploitation of web application input validation weaknesses that enable malicious actors to inject arbitrary script code into web pages viewed by other users. The flaw specifically resides in the WebPublisher module which serves as the web interface component for GroupWise email and collaboration services, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise user sessions or extract sensitive information from authenticated web sessions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, where the WebPublisher component fails to properly sanitize or validate user-supplied input before rendering it within web responses. Attackers can leverage this weakness through unspecified vectors that likely involve manipulation of web form fields, URL parameters, or other input mechanisms within the GroupWise web interface. The vulnerability's classification as a remote attack vector means that malicious actors can exploit it without requiring local system access or authentication, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where GroupWise serves as a critical communication platform. The lack of specific vector details in the original description suggests that the vulnerability may be present across multiple input points within the web interface, potentially encompassing email content handling, user profile management, or administrative configuration forms.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-4716 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal authentication tokens, redirect users to malicious sites, or execute arbitrary commands on behalf of authenticated users. In enterprise environments utilizing Novell GroupWise, this vulnerability could facilitate unauthorized access to sensitive email communications, calendar data, and contact information, potentially leading to data breaches or insider threat scenarios. The vulnerability's presence in a collaboration platform makes it especially concerning as attackers could craft malicious payloads that target specific users or groups within an organization, leveraging the trusted context of GroupWise communications to bypass traditional security controls. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that GroupWise users may inadvertently execute malicious scripts when viewing compromised emails or web pages, creating a persistent threat that can affect multiple users simultaneously.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patch for GroupWise 8.02HP, which addresses the underlying input validation issues in the WebPublisher component. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures by monitoring and filtering suspicious script content in web traffic. Security configuration reviews should focus on implementing proper input sanitization routines and output encoding mechanisms within the GroupWise web interface. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering attacks through malicious content delivery, and T1071 which encompasses application layer protocols for command and control communications. Regular security assessments of web applications should include comprehensive XSS vulnerability scanning and manual penetration testing to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the GroupWise infrastructure. Additionally, user education programs should emphasize the importance of not clicking on suspicious links or opening unexpected email attachments, as these practices can significantly reduce the exploitation success rate of such vulnerabilities.