CVE-2014-5188 in List Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in doemailpassword.tml in Lyris ListManager (LM) 8.95a allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the EmailAddr parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/26/2022
The CVE-2014-5188 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in Lyris ListManager version 8.95a that exposes organizations to significant web application security risks. This vulnerability specifically affects the doemailpassword.tml component within the email password recovery functionality of the system, making it a prime target for malicious actors seeking to exploit user trust and system access controls. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly filter or escape user-supplied data before processing. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting malicious payloads in the EmailAddr parameter, which then gets executed in the context of other users' browsers when they interact with the vulnerable application.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows standard XSS attack patterns where the attacker injects malicious script code through the EmailAddr parameter, which is then rendered in the web application's response without proper sanitization. This allows the malicious code to execute in the victim's browser context, potentially enabling session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability classifies under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize or escape output, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security architecture. The attack vector operates through the web application's email password recovery mechanism, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered during legitimate user interactions with the password reset functionality.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-5188 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can facilitate more sophisticated attacks within the target environment. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized access to user accounts, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within the organization's network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects the entire Lyris ListManager 8.95a deployment, creating a persistent threat vector that remains active until proper patching occurs. Organizations utilizing this email management system face significant risk of credential compromise, especially in environments where user authentication relies on email-based password recovery mechanisms. The attack can be executed remotely without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by anyone with access to the vulnerable system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate input validation and output encoding implementation within the affected application components. Organizations must ensure that all user-supplied input, particularly in email address fields and similar parameters, undergoes strict sanitization and validation before being processed or rendered. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to prevent execution of unauthorized scripts. System administrators should prioritize patching the vulnerable Lyris ListManager version to the latest security release that addresses this specific XSS vulnerability. Regular security assessments and web application firewalls should be deployed to monitor for similar injection patterns. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential access through phishing and T1071 for application layer protocol usage, demonstrating how this flaw can serve as a launching point for broader attack campaigns. Organizations should also implement comprehensive logging and monitoring of email password recovery attempts to detect anomalous patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.