CVE-2015-2349 in Superwebmailer
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in defaultnewsletter.php in SuperWebMailer 5.60.0.01190 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the HTMLForm parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/01/2022
The CVE-2015-2349 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the SuperWebMailer email marketing platform version 5.60.0.01190 and earlier. This vulnerability specifically affects the defaultnewsletter.php script which processes user input through the HTMLForm parameter, creating a dangerous attack vector that enables remote code execution through web script injection. The flaw resides in the application's insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms, allowing malicious actors to craft specially formatted payloads that bypass security controls.
This vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration framework as CWE-79, which categorizes it as a Cross-Site Scripting weakness. The technical implementation involves the application failing to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages. When the HTMLForm parameter is processed without adequate filtering, any HTML or JavaScript code submitted by an attacker gets executed within the context of other users' browsers who view the compromised content. The vulnerability is classified as a reflected XSS attack since the malicious payload is immediately reflected back to users through the vulnerable script without being stored on the server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, creating potential for severe security breaches within email marketing environments. Attackers can exploit this weakness to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, redirect victims to malicious websites, or even execute more sophisticated attacks such as credential theft. In the context of SuperWebMailer, where users manage email campaigns and subscriber data, this vulnerability could compromise entire email lists and user accounts. The attack surface becomes particularly dangerous when considering that email marketing platforms often contain sensitive user information and may be used by organizations for business-critical communications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-2349 should follow established security practices including input validation, output encoding, and the implementation of Content Security Policies. Organizations should immediately upgrade to SuperWebMailer version 5.60.0.01200 or later, which contains patches addressing this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing proper parameter sanitization techniques such as HTML entity encoding, using secure coding practices, and deploying web application firewalls can provide defense-in-depth measures. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering through malicious email content, making it particularly relevant for organizations implementing email security controls and monitoring systems. Security teams should conduct thorough code reviews focusing on input handling and output rendering to prevent similar vulnerabilities in other applications within their infrastructure.