CVE-2015-5379 in Mail Server
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in actions.hsp in the Ajax WebMail interface in AXIGEN Mail Server before 9.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via an email attachment.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/04/2023
The CVE-2015-5379 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the AXIGEN Mail Server's Ajax WebMail interface, specifically affecting versions prior to 9.0. This vulnerability resides in the actions.hsp component of the webmail application, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this email server solution. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code through email attachments, exploiting the server's insufficient input validation mechanisms. The vulnerability demonstrates the classic characteristics of XSS attacks where untrusted data is improperly handled and reflected back to users without adequate sanitization or encoding measures.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when users interact with email attachments within the Ajax WebMail interface, particularly through the actions.hsp script that processes attachment-related operations. Attackers can craft malicious email messages containing specially formatted attachment names or content that, when processed by the vulnerable server, executes arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of the victim's browser session. This occurs because the server fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it in the web interface, allowing malicious payloads to be embedded within attachment metadata or filenames. The vulnerability specifically targets the webmail's handling of attachment-related actions, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently access email through web interfaces.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-5379 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can lead to complete session hijacking, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the email environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can potentially steal user credentials, access sensitive email communications, or even gain administrative control over the mail server if the web interface provides sufficient privileges. The attack vector through email attachments makes this vulnerability particularly insidious because users often trust email content and may inadvertently trigger the malicious script execution simply by viewing an infected email message. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws as weaknesses in input validation and output encoding, and demonstrates the critical need for proper sanitization of all user-supplied data in web applications. Organizations using AXIGEN Mail Server versions before 9.0 face significant risk of persistent security breaches, as the vulnerability can be exploited repeatedly without requiring additional user interaction beyond the initial email receipt.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-5379 should prioritize immediate patching of the AXIGEN Mail Server to version 9.0 or later, which includes proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms for attachment handling. Organizations should implement comprehensive web application firewalls and content security policies to detect and block malicious script execution attempts, while also establishing strict email filtering mechanisms to identify potentially malicious attachments. The remediation process must include thorough testing of the patched environment to ensure that legitimate email functionality remains intact while preventing the execution of unauthorized scripts. Additionally, security teams should conduct regular vulnerability assessments of webmail interfaces and implement proper input validation controls at multiple layers of the application architecture, following ATT&CK framework techniques for defensive measures against web-based attacks. Network segmentation and privilege separation can further reduce the potential impact of successful exploitation, ensuring that even if an attacker gains access through this vulnerability, their ability to move laterally within the network remains limited.