CVE-2019-9558 in Mailtraq
Summary
by MITRE
Mailtraq WebMail version 2.17.7.3550 has Persistent Cross Site Scripting (XSS) via the body of an e-mail message. To exploit the vulnerability, the victim must open an email with malicious Javascript inserted into the body of the email as an iframe.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/02/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-9558 affects Mailtraq WebMail version 2.17.7.3550 and represents a persistent cross site scripting flaw that allows attackers to execute malicious javascript code within the victim's browser context. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross Site Scripting, specifically classified as persistent XSS where the malicious payload is stored on the server and subsequently delivered to users when they view the compromised content. The vulnerability manifests when an email message contains malicious javascript code embedded within the body of the email, particularly when this code is structured as an iframe element that executes upon email rendering.
The exploitation mechanism of this vulnerability requires a specific user interaction pattern where victims must actually open and view the malicious email message within the Mailtraq WebMail interface. When the email body contains crafted javascript code that is rendered as an iframe, the malicious script executes in the context of the victim's browser session, potentially compromising the user's webmail environment and session data. This attack vector demonstrates the dangerous potential for attackers to leverage email systems as delivery mechanisms for client-side attacks, particularly when users trust their email applications to display content safely without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-9558 extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and redirection to malicious websites. The persistent nature of this vulnerability means that once an attacker successfully injects malicious code into an email body, the payload will execute every time any user views that email message, creating a sustained attack vector that can compromise multiple users over time. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where email communication is frequent and users regularly access their mail through web interfaces.
Security professionals should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent the execution of unauthorized javascript code within email message bodies. The mitigation strategy should focus on sanitizing all user-provided content before rendering it within the webmail interface, particularly when displaying email content that may contain embedded scripts or iframes. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies that restrict the execution of inline scripts and limit the ability of embedded iframes to access sensitive resources. Additionally, regular security updates and patches should be applied to ensure that the Mailtraq WebMail system remains protected against known vulnerabilities, with particular attention to the specific version affected by this CVE. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for Scripting, specifically targeting webmail applications through persistent XSS attacks that leverage user trust in email communication channels.