CVE-2012-3507 in RoundCube
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in program/steps/mail/func.inc in RoundCube Webmail before 0.8.0, when using the Larry skin, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the email message subject.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-3507 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the RoundCube Webmail application ecosystem. This security weakness specifically affects versions prior to 0.8.0 and manifests within the program/steps/mail/func.inc file when utilizing the Larry skin interface. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter user-controllable data before rendering it within the web application's output. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious email message subjects containing embedded scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected email in the webmail interface.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting as a code injection flaw where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. This particular implementation flaw allows attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML content directly into the email message subject field, which then gets rendered in the user interface without appropriate sanitization. The Larry skin serves as the attack vector's execution environment where the malicious payload is processed and subsequently executed in the victim's browser context, potentially enabling session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be leveraged for sophisticated attacks. When users view infected email subjects, their browsers execute the embedded malicious code, potentially compromising their webmail sessions and exposing sensitive information. The vulnerability affects the web application's integrity and user trust, as legitimate users may unknowingly interact with malicious content that appears to be part of normal email communication. This weakness can be particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where multiple users access shared webmail systems and where the attack could propagate across organizational boundaries through compromised email communications.
Security mitigations for CVE-2012-3507 involve immediate patching of RoundCube Webmail installations to version 0.8.0 or later, which includes proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation that filters or escapes special characters in email subjects and other user-controllable fields before rendering them in web interfaces. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed within the application context. Regular security assessments and code reviews should focus on input handling mechanisms to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the webmail infrastructure. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes social engineering tactics involving the delivery of malicious content through email, making it a critical target for both preventive and reactive security measures.