CVE-2022-40319 in LISTSERV
Summary
by MITRE • 01/18/2023
The LISTSERV 17 web interface allows remote attackers to conduct Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR) attacks via a modified email address in a wa.exe URL. The impact is unauthorized modification of a victim's LISTSERV account.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-40319 represents a critical insecure direct object reference flaw within the LISTSERV 17 web interface that enables remote attackers to manipulate system resources through direct URL manipulation. This vulnerability specifically affects the wa.exe component of the LISTSERV application, where attackers can modify email addresses in the URL parameters to gain unauthorized access to other users' accounts. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the application's object reference handling, allowing attackers to bypass normal authentication and authorization checks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of the wa.exe URL structure where email addresses are passed as parameters. When an attacker modifies the email address parameter in the URL, the system fails to properly validate whether the authenticated user has legitimate access rights to modify the target account. This creates a direct object reference that can be exploited to perform unauthorized modifications to any LISTSERV account within the system. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-639, which describes insecure direct object references where applications fail to validate access control for objects referenced by user-supplied input, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.1.001 for valid accounts and T1566.001 for spearphishing via web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple account compromise, as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including account takeover, data manipulation, and potential privilege escalation within the LISTSERV environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can modify user account settings, change email addresses, alter permissions, and potentially access sensitive mailing list information. The severity is amplified by the fact that this vulnerability requires no special privileges to exploit and can be executed remotely, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on LISTSERV for email distribution and management services.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-40319 should focus on implementing proper input validation and access control mechanisms within the LISTSERV web interface. Organizations should immediately apply vendor patches and updates when available, while implementing additional security controls such as parameterized URL handling, session validation, and proper access control checks for all object references. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual URL parameter patterns, and regular security audits should verify that all user interactions with the wa.exe component properly validate user permissions. The implementation of principle of least privilege access controls and comprehensive logging of account modification activities will help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Additionally, security awareness training for administrators should emphasize the importance of validating all user inputs and maintaining up-to-date security configurations to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other applications.