CVE-2011-5150 in SpamTitan
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in SpamTitan 5.07 and possibly earlier allow remote attackers or authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) ipaddress or (2) domain parameter to setup-network.php, different vectors than CVE-2011-5149. NOTE: the provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained solely from third party information.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/18/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-5150 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting SpamTitan version 5.07 and potentially earlier releases. This security weakness resides within the web application's handling of user-supplied input parameters, specifically targeting the setup-network.php script which processes network configuration data. The vulnerability manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize or validate input received through the ipaddress and domain parameters, creating opportunities for malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's response.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws as weaknesses that allow attackers to inject client-side scripts into web applications. The flaw occurs at the input validation layer where the application does not adequately filter or escape user-provided data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages. This particular vulnerability demonstrates a classic path-to-vulnerability pattern where untrusted data flows directly into the application's output without proper sanitization, making it susceptible to exploitation by both remote attackers and authenticated users with sufficient privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it can enable attackers to establish persistent malicious presence within the targeted environment. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of authenticated users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The fact that both remote attackers and authenticated users can exploit this vulnerability increases the attack surface significantly, as it removes the requirement for initial compromise through other means. The vulnerability affects the network configuration interface, which typically requires administrative privileges, making successful exploitation particularly dangerous for organizations relying on SpamTitan for email security management.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-5150 should prioritize immediate patching of affected SpamTitan installations to the latest available version that addresses this vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent similar issues in other applications. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against XSS attacks. Security teams should also conduct thorough code reviews focusing on input handling and output encoding practices, particularly within administrative interfaces. Network segmentation and privileged access controls should be enforced to limit potential damage from successful exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be performed to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in the broader application ecosystem. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing robust input validation mechanisms as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.