CVE-2013-1471 in FortiMail
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in admin/FEAdmin.html in Fortinet FortiMail before 4.3.4 on FortiMail Identity-Based Encryption (IBE) appliances allow user-assisted remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the Add field for the Black List under Antispam Management User Preferences or (2) the User name field for the Personal Black/White List in the AntiSpam section.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-1471 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness discovered in Fortinet FortiMail appliances running versions prior to 4.3.4. This flaw specifically affects the administrative interface component known as FEAdmin.html which manages identity-based encryption appliances. The vulnerability resides within the administrative user preferences section of the antispam management functionality, creating a potential attack vector that could be exploited by remote adversaries with minimal user interaction requirements. The affected system components operate within enterprise email security environments where administrators manage spam filtering policies and user access controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the FortiMail administrative web interface. Attackers can exploit this weakness by manipulating two distinct input fields within the antispam management module. The first attack vector targets the Black List Add field under Antispam Management User Preferences, while the second exploits the User name field within the Personal Black/White List functionality in the AntiSpam section. Both vectors allow malicious actors to inject arbitrary web script or HTML code that executes within the context of authenticated administrator sessions. This represents a classic reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability where user-supplied data is directly incorporated into web responses without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-1471 extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to escalate privileges and compromise entire email security infrastructures. Since the vulnerability affects the administrative interface, successful exploitation could allow attackers to modify spam filtering rules, add malicious entries to blacklists, or even create new administrator accounts. The user-assisted nature of this vulnerability means that an attacker could trick an administrator into clicking a malicious link or visiting a compromised website, making the attack surface more accessible in enterprise environments where administrators frequently interact with various web applications. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter execution.
Organizations utilizing FortiMail appliances should prioritize immediate remediation through firmware updates to version 4.3.4 or later, as this represents the most effective mitigation strategy. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional defensive layers, though they do not eliminate the underlying vulnerability. Administrators should implement strict input validation policies for all user-supplied data within administrative interfaces and consider disabling unnecessary administrative web access from external networks. Regular security audits of administrative interfaces and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities should be implemented as part of comprehensive security operations. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in web applications and the critical need for maintaining up-to-date security patches in enterprise email infrastructure components.