CVE-2012-5889 in powermail
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the powermail extension before 1.6.5 for TYPO3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/23/2019
The CVE-2012-5889 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the powermail extension for TYPO3 content management system. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 1.6.5 and enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected user sessions. The powermail extension is commonly used for creating contact forms and email handling within TYPO3 installations, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could be exploited to compromise user interactions with web applications. The unspecified vectors indicate that the attack surface encompasses multiple potential entry points within the extension's codebase where user input is not properly sanitized or validated.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the powermail extension's processing logic. When users submit data through forms managed by this extension, the application fails to properly sanitize the input before rendering it back to users or storing it in databases. This allows malicious actors to inject malicious scripts that execute in the victim's browser context, potentially stealing session cookies, performing unauthorized actions, or redirecting users to malicious websites. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be classified under CWE-79 as Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to TYPO3 installations that utilize the powermail extension. Attackers could exploit this weakness to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information from form submissions, or manipulate the extension's functionality to serve malicious content. The impact extends beyond individual user compromise to potentially affect entire organization web applications, especially when the affected TYPO3 installations handle sensitive data or serve as critical business platforms. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation does not require physical access to the system and can be executed from anywhere on the internet, making it particularly attractive to cybercriminals seeking scalable attack vectors.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies including updating to powermail version 1.6.5 or later, which contains the necessary security patches. Network administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script injection attempts. Additional defensive measures include regular security audits of TYPO3 installations, input validation hardening, and implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes the use of web application vulnerabilities for initial access and privilege escalation, and T1059 which covers the execution of malicious code through scripting languages. The remediation process should also include monitoring for signs of exploitation attempts and ensuring that all TYPO3 extensions are kept current with security updates to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future.