CVE-2017-5210 in OX App Suite
Summary
by MITRE
Open-Xchange GmbH OX App Suite 7.8.3 and earlier is affected by: Information Exposure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/14/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-5210 affects Open-Xchange GmbH OX App Suite version 7.8.3 and earlier, representing an information exposure flaw that compromises the confidentiality of sensitive data within the application environment. This type of vulnerability falls under the broader category of information disclosure vulnerabilities, which can have significant implications for organizations relying on the platform for email and collaboration services. The issue stems from inadequate access controls or improper data handling mechanisms that allow unauthorized parties to gain access to information that should remain restricted. Information exposure vulnerabilities are particularly concerning in enterprise environments where email systems contain sensitive corporate data, personal information, and confidential communications that could be exploited for financial gain or competitive advantage.
The technical nature of this information exposure vulnerability within OX App Suite suggests that the application fails to properly implement access controls or data sanitization measures when processing user requests. This flaw likely manifests through mechanisms such as improper error handling, insufficient authentication checks, or inadequate authorization validation during data retrieval operations. Attackers could potentially exploit this weakness to access sensitive information through various attack vectors including direct API calls, web interface manipulation, or by leveraging existing user sessions. The vulnerability may be related to how the application handles user credentials, session tokens, or data retrieval requests that could reveal information about other users, system configurations, or internal data structures. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 which specifically addresses "Information Exposure" and encompasses various scenarios where information is unintentionally disclosed to unauthorized actors.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-5210 extends beyond simple data leakage, potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks such as privilege escalation, lateral movement within networks, or targeted social engineering campaigns. Organizations utilizing OX App Suite in their infrastructure may experience significant security degradation when this vulnerability remains unpatched, as attackers could exploit it to gather intelligence about user accounts, system configurations, or internal communication patterns. The exposure could include sensitive metadata, user personal information, email content, or system logs that provide attackers with valuable insights for further exploitation. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability represents a low-effort, high-impact entry point that could be combined with other weaknesses to achieve more comprehensive system compromise. The ATT&CK framework categorizes such vulnerabilities under the Information Gathering phase, where adversaries collect information about the target environment to plan subsequent attacks, and potentially the Credential Access category when sensitive authentication data is exposed.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of vendor-provided patches or updates to OX App Suite versions that address this information exposure vulnerability. Security teams must conduct comprehensive assessments of their email infrastructure to identify potential exploitation vectors and ensure that all systems are updated to the latest secure versions. Additional mitigations include implementing network segmentation, monitoring for unusual access patterns, and strengthening authentication mechanisms to reduce the impact of potential exploitation. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in the email infrastructure, as information exposure vulnerabilities often indicate broader security configuration issues. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and ensuring that all enterprise applications undergo regular security reviews to prevent similar exposure scenarios that could compromise sensitive organizational data.