CVE-2018-6563 in Encryption Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in totemomail Encryption Gateway before 6.0.0_Build_371 allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of users for requests that (1) change user settings, (2) send emails, or (3) change contact information by leveraging lack of an anti-CSRF token.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/18/2024
The CVE-2018-6563 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery weakness in the totemomail Encryption Gateway software prior to version 6.0.0_Build_371. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery flaws in web applications. The flaw stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token implementation within the encryption gateway's web interface, creating a fundamental security gap that adversaries can exploit to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability impacts multiple functional areas of the email gateway system, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on this security infrastructure.
The technical exploitation of this CSRF vulnerability occurs when a remote attacker crafts malicious web requests that leverage the victim's authenticated session with the totemomail Encryption Gateway. Without proper CSRF protection mechanisms such as anti-CSRF tokens, the gateway cannot distinguish between legitimate user-initiated requests and maliciously forged requests submitted through social engineering or compromised user sessions. Attackers can leverage this weakness to manipulate user settings, execute email sending operations, or modify contact information within the gateway's administrative interface. The absence of token validation means that any authenticated user session can be hijacked to perform these actions without proper authorization, effectively bypassing the authentication mechanisms that should protect the system.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-6563 extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables attackers to potentially compromise email communications and user data within the organization's security infrastructure. When an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can alter critical email gateway configurations that may affect email routing, encryption settings, or user access controls. The ability to send emails through the gateway without detection poses significant risks for phishing campaigns, spam distribution, or data exfiltration attempts. Additionally, modifications to contact information could disrupt legitimate email communications or create backdoor access points for further attacks. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers phishing and social engineering attacks that leverage CSRF weaknesses to gain unauthorized system access.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to totemomail Encryption Gateway version 6.0.0_Build_371 or later, which includes proper CSRF token implementation. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as web application firewalls that can detect and block CSRF attacks, though the primary remediation involves the software update. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation that may have occurred prior to the patch deployment. The implementation of proper CSRF token validation mechanisms, including the generation of unique tokens for each user session and validation of token integrity, should be enforced across all web interfaces of the encryption gateway. This vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security software and implementing proper input validation and session management controls to prevent unauthorized system manipulation.