CVE-2012-2573 in T-day Webmail
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in T-dah WebMail 3.2.0-2.3 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via an e-mail message body with (1) a SCRIPT element, (2) a crafted Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) expression property, (3) a CSS expression property in the STYLE attribute of an arbitrary element, (4) an ONLOAD attribute of a BODY element, (5) a crafted SRC attribute of an IFRAME element, (6) a crafted CONTENT attribute of an HTTP-EQUIV="refresh" META element, or (7) a data: URL in the CONTENT attribute of an HTTP-EQUIV="refresh" META element.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/27/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2573 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in T-dah WebMail version 3.2.0-2.3, exposing users to significant security risks through email message content manipulation. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the webmail application's handling of email message bodies, creating multiple attack vectors that adversaries can exploit to inject malicious scripts into the application's user interface.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability encompasses seven distinct attack vectors that collectively demonstrate a comprehensive failure in sanitizing user-supplied content. The first vector involves direct injection of SCRIPT elements within email messages, while the second and third vectors leverage CSS expression properties that can execute JavaScript code in supported browsers. The fourth vector targets the ONLOAD attribute of BODY elements, the fifth exploits crafted SRC attributes in IFRAME elements, the sixth targets HTTP-EQUIV="refresh" META elements with manipulated CONTENT attributes, and the seventh leverages data: URLs within the same META element. Each of these vectors represents a distinct pathway through which malicious code can be executed in the context of a victim's browser session.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts and HTML content within the context of authenticated user sessions, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that email applications serve as primary communication channels for both personal and enterprise users, making successful exploitation capable of affecting large numbers of targets simultaneously. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple HTML element types and attributes demonstrates a systemic flaw in the application's security architecture rather than isolated code issues.
The security implications extend beyond simple script execution to encompass potential exploitation of browser vulnerabilities and the establishment of persistent attack vectors. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-79 "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation" which represents a fundamental weakness in web application security. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a technique for code injection and privilege escalation, with potential for lateral movement within compromised environments. Organizations utilizing T-dah WebMail 3.2.0-2.3 face significant risk of unauthorized access and data breaches, particularly in enterprise environments where email systems serve as primary attack vectors.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of the affected software version, implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious content. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing content security policies, disabling unnecessary HTML elements in email rendering, and establishing robust security monitoring for suspicious email content patterns. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper input sanitization and the necessity of defense-in-depth approaches to protect against sophisticated web-based attacks that exploit multiple attack vectors simultaneously.