CVE-2013-5119 in Zimbra Collection Suite
Summary
by MITRE
Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS) 6.0.16 and earlier allows man-in-the-middle attackers to obtain access by sniffing the network and replaying the ZM_AUTH_TOKEN token.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2013-5119 represents a critical security flaw within the Zimbra Collaboration Suite version 6.0.16 and earlier installations. This issue stems from insufficient protection mechanisms for authentication tokens transmitted over network channels, creating a significant attack surface for malicious actors positioned within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability specifically targets the ZM_AUTH_TOKEN mechanism that Zimbra employs for session management and user authentication within its web-based interface.
The technical implementation flaw lies in the network protocol handling and token transmission methods used by the ZCS application. When users authenticate to the Zimbra web interface, the system generates and transmits a ZM_AUTH_TOKEN that should remain confidential and secure during transmission. However, the vulnerability allows attackers with network sniffing capabilities to intercept this token and subsequently replay it to gain unauthorized access to user sessions. This represents a classic man-in-the-middle attack vector where network traffic is passively monitored and actively exploited without requiring any sophisticated attack techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables attackers to impersonate legitimate users and potentially gain access to sensitive email communications, calendar data, contact information, and other collaborative features within the Zimbra environment. The attack requires minimal technical expertise since it relies on standard network sniffing tools and token replay techniques, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network traffic is not properly secured or encrypted. Organizations using affected Zimbra versions face significant risk of data breaches and unauthorized access to corporate email systems, potentially leading to intellectual property theft, financial fraud, and compliance violations.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-319, which addresses the exposure of sensitive information through network transmission, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential access through network sniffing. The attack pattern demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper transport layer security measures including TLS encryption for all authentication tokens and session identifiers. Organizations should immediately implement network segmentation, enforce mandatory TLS encryption for all Zimbra communications, and upgrade to patched versions of the Zimbra Collaboration Suite. Additionally, implementing network monitoring solutions that detect unusual token usage patterns and deploying secure authentication protocols such as OAuth or SAML can provide additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities. The incident underscores the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing comprehensive network security controls to prevent passive network reconnaissance and credential replay attacks.