CVE-2018-14356 in Mutt
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Mutt before 1.10.1 and NeoMutt before 2018-07-16. pop.c mishandles a zero-length UID.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-14356 represents a critical flaw in email client software affecting both Mutt versions prior to 1.10.1 and NeoMutt versions before the 2018-07-16 release. This issue manifests in the pop.c component which is responsible for handling POP3 protocol operations within these email clients. The core problem occurs when the system encounters a zero-length UID during POP3 message handling processes, creating a scenario where the software fails to properly manage this edge case. This mismanagement creates a potential pathway for exploitation that could compromise the integrity and security of email communications processed through affected versions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the POP3 protocol implementation. When a zero-length UID is encountered, the pop.c module does not properly validate or sanitize this input before processing it further. This failure creates a condition where the software may attempt to process malformed data or perform operations on empty identifiers, potentially leading to memory corruption, buffer overflows, or other exploitable conditions. The vulnerability operates at the protocol handling layer, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered during normal email retrieval operations without requiring special privileges or complex attack vectors.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-14356 extends beyond simple functionality degradation, presenting significant security risks to users of affected email clients. Attackers could potentially exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on systems running vulnerable versions of Mutt or NeoMutt, especially when these clients are used to process email from untrusted sources. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where email clients are frequently used to access corporate mailboxes, as it could provide attackers with a foothold for further network infiltration. Additionally, the nature of POP3 protocol handling means that this vulnerability could be triggered during routine email synchronization processes, making detection and prevention more challenging.
Organizations and users should immediately update to patched versions of Mutt or NeoMutt where available, with Mutt 1.10.1 and NeoMutt versions released after 2018-07-16 providing the necessary fixes. System administrators should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect unusual POP3 traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which describes improper validation of array index values, and could potentially map to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution through protocol manipulation. Security teams should also consider implementing email content filtering and monitoring to prevent automatic processing of potentially malicious email messages that might trigger this condition during normal operations.