CVE-2018-15510 in Totemomail
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the 'Certificate' feature of totemomail 6.0.0 build 570 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/11/2023
The CVE-2018-15510 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the certificate handling functionality of totemomail version 6.0.0 build 570. This vulnerability resides in the application's certificate feature which processes and displays certificate-related information to users. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it within web pages. Attackers can exploit this weakness by submitting malicious script code through the certificate input fields, which then gets executed in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected certificate information. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws and aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the application processes certificate data without sufficient sanitization of special characters and script tags. When users interact with the certificate feature, the application fails to properly escape or encode HTML entities and JavaScript code that may be present in certificate fields such as subject names, issuer information, or certificate extensions. This allows attackers to inject malicious payloads that can execute in the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects a core administrative feature that would likely be accessed by authorized users with elevated privileges, amplifying the potential impact of successful exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection as it can enable attackers to perform sophisticated attacks such as stealing user sessions, defacing web interfaces, or redirecting users to phishing sites. When exploited, the XSS vulnerability can allow attackers to access sensitive certificate information, potentially compromising the security of the entire email infrastructure. The attack surface is significant since certificate features are commonly used for security validation and trust establishment, making them attractive targets for adversaries seeking to undermine the security posture of the system. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of the application's certificate management functionality.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-15510 should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the certificate handling pipeline. Organizations should ensure that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized using established encoding libraries and that the application employs Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution. The most effective remediation involves updating to a patched version of totemomail where the certificate feature has been properly secured with input validation and output encoding. Security teams should also implement regular security testing including dynamic application security testing and manual penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. Additionally, network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious certificate-related activities that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating and sanitizing all user inputs in web applications and aligns with security best practices outlined in OWASP Top 10 and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.