CVE-2012-0323 in Autocomplete
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Autocomplete plugin before 3.0 for SquirrelMail allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/15/2019
The CVE-2012-0323 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Autocomplete plugin for SquirrelMail email client software. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 3.0 of the plugin, creating a significant security risk for email system administrators and end users who rely on SquirrelMail for their communication needs. The vulnerability falls under the broader category of web application security flaws that can be exploited to compromise user sessions and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the Autocomplete plugin's implementation. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that are then executed in the context of other users' browsers when they interact with the affected plugin. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple attack surfaces within the plugin's codebase could be leveraged, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it may be exploitable through various input methods including user profile data, contact lists, or other interactive elements within the plugin's interface. This weakness aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal user credentials, redirect users to malicious websites, or execute arbitrary commands on behalf of the victim. In the context of email systems, this presents a severe risk since users may unknowingly execute malicious code while managing their contacts or performing routine email operations. The vulnerability's exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive email communications, potential data exfiltration, and establishment of persistent backdoors within the email infrastructure. Organizations using SquirrelMail with the affected Autocomplete plugin are particularly vulnerable to targeted attacks that could compromise entire email domains.
Security practitioners should immediately implement mitigation strategies including updating to the patched version 3.0 of the Autocomplete plugin, implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious script injection attempts, and conducting thorough security assessments of all SquirrelMail installations. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and output encoding in web applications, principles that are fundamental to the OWASP Top Ten security guidelines. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing content security policies to further reduce the impact of potential XSS attacks. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the Tactic of Execution, specifically targeting the technique of Command and Scripting Interpreter, where attackers leverage web-based attack vectors to execute malicious code within user browsers. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other email plugins and web applications within the organization's infrastructure.