CVE-2017-20187 in Magnesium-PHP
Summary
by MITRE • 11/05/2023
** UNSUPPORTED WHEN ASSIGNED ** A vulnerability was found in Magnesium-PHP up to 0.3.0. It has been classified as problematic. Affected is the function formatEmailString of the file src/Magnesium/Message/Base.php. The manipulation of the argument email/name leads to injection. Upgrading to version 0.3.1 is able to address this issue. The patch is identified as 500d340e1f6421007413cc08a8383475221c2604. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. VDB-244482 is the identifier assigned to this vulnerability. NOTE: This vulnerability only affects products that are no longer supported by the maintainer.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-20187 represents a critical injection flaw within the Magnesium-PHP library version 0.3.0 and earlier. This security weakness resides in the formatEmailString function located within the src/Magnesium/Message/Base.php file, where improper input validation allows attackers to manipulate email and name arguments through maliciously crafted data. The vulnerability classification as problematic indicates a significant risk to systems utilizing this library, particularly given that it affects core message handling functionality that processes user-provided email information. The issue demonstrates a classic input sanitization failure where user-controllable data flows directly into email formatting operations without adequate validation or escaping mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when attackers provide specially crafted input to the email/name parameters within the formatEmailString function, potentially enabling injection attacks that could lead to various security consequences including email header injection, cross-site scripting, or other payload execution scenarios. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-74 standards for injection flaws, specifically targeting the improper handling of user input in email formatting contexts. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the foundational message processing capabilities of the library, meaning that any application relying on Magnesium-PHP for email handling could be compromised. The patch identified through commit 500d340e1f6421007413cc08a8383475221c2604 demonstrates that the fix involves implementing proper input validation and sanitization measures to prevent malicious data from being processed through the vulnerable function.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations that may still be using unsupported versions of Magnesium-PHP, particularly in environments where email processing is critical for business operations. The recommendation to upgrade to version 0.3.1 represents the primary mitigation strategy, as this update addresses the root cause by implementing proper input validation and sanitization. Security practitioners should note that the vulnerability's impact is amplified in environments where the library is used in conjunction with other components that may be vulnerable to similar injection attacks, creating potential attack vectors for broader system compromise. The fact that this vulnerability affects unsupported products underscores the importance of maintaining current software versions and implementing proper vulnerability management processes to identify and remediate such issues before they can be exploited in production environments.
The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution or T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreter techniques, as the injection capability could potentially enable attackers to execute malicious commands through manipulated email headers or content. Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring for unusual email processing patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on email headers and formatting operations that could be influenced by user input. The vulnerability also highlights the broader security principle of defense in depth, where proper input validation should be implemented at multiple layers of application architecture rather than relying solely on perimeter security measures. Given that this library is no longer supported by maintainers, organizations should consider migrating to actively maintained alternatives or implementing additional protective measures such as web application firewalls to mitigate potential exploitation risks.