CVE-2015-9058 in Mail Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
Open redirect vulnerability in Proxmox Mail Gateway prior to hotfix 4.0-8-097d26a9 allows remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via the destination parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2020
The CVE-2015-9058 vulnerability represents a critical open redirect flaw within the Proxmox Mail Gateway software ecosystem, specifically affecting versions prior to the hotfix release 4.0-8-097d26a9. This vulnerability resides in the gateway's handling of user redirection mechanisms, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on Proxmox Mail Gateway for email security and content filtering operations. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate the destination parameter within the application's redirect functionality, potentially compromising user trust and security posture.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the Proxmox Mail Gateway's redirect processing logic. When users interact with the gateway's web interface or email processing workflows, the application accepts a destination parameter that is subsequently used to redirect users to specified URLs. The absence of proper validation allows attackers to inject malicious URLs into this parameter, bypassing the application's intended redirect behavior. This flaw aligns with CWE-601, which specifically addresses open redirect vulnerabilities where applications redirect users to untrusted destinations without proper validation, making it a direct implementation of the well-documented weakness in web application security.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple redirection attacks, creating substantial risk for organizations utilizing Proxmox Mail Gateway for email security operations. Attackers can exploit this weakness to craft phishing campaigns that appear legitimate to users, as the gateway's interface may be used to redirect victims to malicious sites that mimic trusted domains. This capability significantly undermines the security controls that organizations expect from their email gateways, potentially leading to credential theft, malware distribution, and data exfiltration. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on email-based authentication and user interaction with gateway web interfaces, as it provides an easy vector for social engineering attacks that bypass traditional email filtering mechanisms.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by applying the hotfix 4.0-8-097d26a9 or equivalent security patches provided by Proxmox VE. Network administrators should also implement additional monitoring of gateway redirect functionality and user access patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation in web applications and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering tactics including phishing attacks that leverage open redirect vulnerabilities. Security teams should conduct comprehensive assessments of their email gateway configurations and implement proper URL validation controls to prevent similar vulnerabilities in other components of their email infrastructure. Organizations may also need to consider implementing additional security controls such as web application firewalls or enhanced monitoring of redirect parameters to mitigate the risk of exploitation.