CVE-2019-9883 in MailSherlock MSR35
Summary
by MITRE
Multi modules of MailSherlock MSR35 and MSR45 lead to a CSRF vulnerability. It allows attacker to elevate privilege of specific account via useradmin/cf_new.cgi?chief=&wk_group=full&cf_name=test&cf_account=test&cf_email=&cf_acl=Management&apply_lang=&dn= without any authorizes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2023
The CVE-2019-9883 vulnerability affects multiple modules within the MailSherlock MSR35 and MSR45 email security appliances, presenting a critical cross-site request forgery flaw that enables unauthorized privilege escalation. This vulnerability exists in the web-based administrative interface of these devices, specifically within the user administration module that handles account creation and privilege management functions. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of HTTP requests originating from authenticated administrative sessions, allowing malicious actors to craft specially crafted requests that manipulate the user management functionality without proper authentication.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability occurs through the vulnerable endpoint useradmin/cf_new.cgi which processes account creation requests. The parameters within this endpoint including chief, wk_group, cf_name, cf_account, cf_email, cf_acl, apply_lang, and dn are processed without adequate CSRF token validation or session integrity checks. When an authenticated administrator visits a malicious website or clicks on a crafted link, the browser automatically submits requests to the vulnerable endpoint with the administrator's credentials and session cookies, effectively performing unauthorized administrative actions on behalf of the legitimate user. This particular vulnerability targets the management access control list parameter which allows attackers to assign full administrative privileges to created accounts, making it particularly dangerous for privilege escalation attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with a direct path to gain full administrative control over the affected email security appliances. Once exploited, attackers can create accounts with management-level privileges, potentially gaining access to all email security features including spam filtering rules, user access controls, system configuration settings, and administrative logs. The vulnerability affects the core administrative functionality of these devices, which are typically deployed in enterprise environments where email security is critical for protecting sensitive organizational data. The lack of authorization checks means that any user who can access the administrative interface and trigger the vulnerable request can escalate privileges without proper authentication, potentially compromising the entire email infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-9883 should focus on implementing proper CSRF protection mechanisms within the affected web applications. Organizations should ensure that all administrative endpoints validate CSRF tokens for every state-changing request and implement SameSite cookie attributes to prevent cross-site request forgery attacks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities in web applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078 which covers valid accounts and T1548 which covers abuse of privileges, as attackers can leverage this flaw to gain elevated access to administrative functions. Device vendors should implement comprehensive input validation and session management controls, while network administrators should monitor for suspicious administrative activities and ensure that these devices are properly patched and isolated within secure network segments to limit potential attack vectors.