CVE-2013-1087 in GroupWise Client
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the client in Novell GroupWise through 8.0.3 HP3, and 2012 through SP2, on Windows allows user-assisted remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the body of an e-mail message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2024
The CVE-2013-1087 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in Novell GroupWise email client software that affects versions through 8.0.3 HP3 and 2012 through SP2 on Windows platforms. This vulnerability resides in the client-side processing of email messages, specifically in how the application handles the body content of incoming emails. The flaw enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of a user's browser session when they view infected email messages, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on GroupWise for email communications.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the GroupWise client's email rendering engine. When users receive email messages containing maliciously crafted payloads in the message body, the client fails to properly sanitize or escape the content before displaying it in the user interface. This allows attackers to inject JavaScript code or HTML elements that execute in the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or other malicious activities. The vulnerability is classified as user-assisted remote exploitation, meaning that a user must actively open the malicious email message for the attack to succeed, but the attack itself can be initiated remotely by sending the compromised message.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-1087 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable sophisticated attack vectors that leverage the compromised user session. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, or even execute additional payloads that could lead to full system compromise. Organizations using GroupWise may experience unauthorized access to sensitive email communications, potential data exfiltration, and disruption of business operations. The vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where email is a primary communication channel, making it a prime target for advanced persistent threats and social engineering campaigns that leverage the trust users place in legitimate email messages.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of mitigation for this vulnerability, beginning with immediate patching of affected GroupWise versions to the latest available security updates from Novell. Network-based security controls including email filtering solutions should be configured to scan incoming messages for known malicious patterns and suspicious content. Additionally, user education programs should emphasize the importance of not opening suspicious email attachments or clicking on untrusted links, even when they appear to originate from legitimate sources. From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting) and maps to attack techniques in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1566 (Phishing) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter). Security teams should also consider implementing content security policies and browser security controls to further reduce the attack surface and limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts.