CVE-2014-5314 in Mailwise
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in Cybozu Office 9 and 10 before 10.1.0, Mailwise 4 and 5 before 5.1.4, and Dezie 8 before 8.1.1 allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary code via e-mail messages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/15/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5314 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw affecting several Cybozu software products including Office 9 and 10, Mailwise 4 and 5, and Dezie 8. This security weakness stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the email processing components of these applications. The flaw specifically manifests when the affected software handles specially crafted email messages, creating conditions where maliciously formatted content can exceed allocated memory buffers and overwrite adjacent memory regions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access to exploit, meaning that an attacker with legitimate user credentials can leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized code execution privileges. This makes the attack vector more accessible compared to vulnerabilities requiring external exploitation or physical access to systems.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow occurs within the email parsing and rendering functionality of the affected applications. When processing email messages containing malformed data structures, the software fails to properly validate the length and content of incoming data before copying it into fixed-size memory buffers. This classic programming error allows attackers to craft email payloads that deliberately exceed buffer boundaries, potentially overwriting critical memory locations including return addresses, function pointers, or other control data. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which addresses heap-based buffer overflow scenarios that can occur during dynamic memory allocation processes. The exploitation of this flaw can lead to complete system compromise through arbitrary code execution, allowing attackers to install malware, escalate privileges, or establish persistent access to compromised systems.
From an operational impact perspective, organizations utilizing these affected Cybozu products face significant security risks that extend beyond simple data corruption or application crashes. The remote execution capability means that attackers can compromise systems from anywhere within the network perimeter, potentially leading to widespread infiltration across enterprise environments. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations with email-based communication workflows, as the attack surface includes all users who can send or receive emails through the vulnerable applications. The authenticated nature of the exploit means that attackers do not need to bypass authentication mechanisms, making the attack more efficient and harder to detect. Network security teams must consider the potential for lateral movement within compromised networks, as attackers could use the executed code to pivot to other systems or escalate their privileges to administrative levels. This vulnerability also represents a significant concern for compliance frameworks such as pci dss and iso 27001, which require organizations to maintain secure email processing capabilities and protect against known exploit vectors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-5314 should prioritize immediate patching of affected software versions to address the underlying buffer overflow conditions. Organizations must ensure that all instances of Cybozu Office 9 and 10, Mailwise 4 and 5, and Dezie 8 are updated to versions 10.1.0, 5.1.4, and 8.1.1 respectively, which contain the necessary security fixes. Network administrators should implement email filtering rules and content inspection mechanisms to detect and block potentially malicious email payloads before they reach vulnerable applications. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by limiting user permissions and implementing strict email access controls. Security monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual email processing patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, including monitoring for memory corruption indicators or unexpected code execution. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing email security gateways that can perform deep content inspection and prevent the delivery of suspicious email attachments or malformed messages that could trigger buffer overflow conditions. The implementation of these controls aligns with mitre att&ck framework techniques such as t1059 for command and scripting interpreter and t1078 for valid accounts, as attackers exploiting this vulnerability would likely attempt to establish persistent access through legitimate user accounts and execute malicious commands on compromised systems. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining instances of the vulnerable software within the organization's infrastructure.