CVE-2021-20618 in acmailer
Summary
by MITRE • 01/14/2021
Privilege chaining vulnerability in acmailer ver. 4.0.2 and earlier, and acmailer DB ver. 1.1.4 and earlier allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and to gain an administrative privilege which may result in obtaining the sensitive information on the server via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-20618 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw affecting acmailer versions 4.0.2 and earlier, along with acmailer DB versions 1.1.4 and earlier. This vulnerability manifests as a privilege chaining issue that enables remote attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms and escalate their privileges to administrative levels. The flaw operates through unspecified vectors that allow unauthorized access to sensitive server information, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on these mailer systems for critical communications infrastructure. The vulnerability's classification as a privilege chaining attack indicates that multiple security controls or mechanisms must be exploited in sequence to achieve the final administrative access, suggesting a complex but potentially exploitable attack path.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate access control mechanisms within the acmailer application and its database component. Attackers can leverage this flaw to perform unauthorized actions that should typically require administrative credentials, effectively undermining the security model of the system. The unspecified vectors suggest that the vulnerability may be triggered through various attack surfaces including network protocols, API endpoints, or configuration interfaces that the application exposes to external parties. This lack of specificity in the vulnerability description indicates that multiple pathways exist for exploitation, potentially making the attack surface more extensive than initially apparent. The privilege chaining nature implies that the vulnerability requires a sequence of attacks or exploits to reach the final administrative privilege level, where the attacker can access sensitive server information and potentially compromise the entire system.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations using affected acmailer versions, as it allows remote attackers to gain administrative access without proper authentication. The ability to bypass authentication mechanisms means that attackers can potentially access sensitive information stored on the server, including user credentials, configuration data, and potentially confidential communications. The remote exploitation capability eliminates the need for physical access or local network presence, making the vulnerability particularly attractive to cybercriminals seeking to compromise systems from anywhere on the internet. Organizations may experience data breaches, unauthorized system modifications, and potential complete system compromise if this vulnerability remains unpatched, leading to significant financial and reputational damage.
Security mitigations for CVE-2021-20618 should prioritize immediate patching of affected acmailer and acmailer DB components to version 4.0.3 and 1.1.5 respectively, as these releases contain the necessary security fixes. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to the affected systems, particularly limiting exposure to trusted networks only. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar privilege escalation vulnerabilities in other system components. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control, and may map to ATT&CK techniques such as T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for social engineering, though the remote nature suggests additional attack vectors beyond traditional social engineering approaches. Organizations should also implement monitoring and logging mechanisms to detect unauthorized access attempts and privilege escalation activities, as the vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple credential theft to full administrative control of the affected systems.