CVE-2023-2160 in modoboa
Summary
by MITRE • 04/18/2023
Weak Password Requirements in GitHub repository modoboa/modoboa prior to 2.1.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/09/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-2160 represents a critical weakness in the authentication security posture of the modoboa email management platform, specifically affecting versions prior to 2.1.0. This issue stems from inadequate password complexity requirements that allow users to create accounts with easily guessable and weak passwords, fundamentally undermining the security of the entire system. The vulnerability directly impacts the authentication mechanisms that protect email services and user data within the modoboa environment, creating a significant attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to gain unauthorized access to email accounts and potentially compromise entire email infrastructures. The weakness manifests in the application's password validation logic, which fails to enforce minimum complexity standards such as minimum length requirements, character variety, and resistance to common dictionary attacks that are essential for robust authentication security.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-521 Weak Password Requirements, which classifies weak password policies as a fundamental security flaw that significantly increases the risk of credential compromise through brute force attacks, dictionary attacks, and password reuse exploitation. The flaw operates at the application level within the user registration and authentication components of the modoboa platform, where password strength validation is insufficiently enforced during the account creation process. The technical implementation fails to incorporate proper password complexity checks that would normally require passwords to meet specific criteria including minimum length thresholds, inclusion of uppercase and lowercase letters, numeric characters, and special symbols. This weakness creates a persistent security gap that allows attackers to systematically test common passwords, leveraging automated tools to identify weak credentials within the user base.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-2160 extends beyond simple credential theft to encompass potential system compromise and data breaches within email infrastructure deployments. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform credential stuffing attacks across multiple services where users may have reused passwords, potentially gaining access to additional systems and applications within the organization's attack surface. The vulnerability creates a pathway for lateral movement within network environments where modoboa instances are deployed, particularly in organizations that rely on email as a primary communication channel and may have integrated email services with other business applications. The risk is exacerbated by the fact that many organizations may not regularly audit their user credential strength or implement additional authentication controls to compensate for the weak password requirements inherent in the platform.
Organizations utilizing modoboa versions prior to 2.1.0 should immediately implement mitigation strategies including mandatory password policy enforcement, account lockout mechanisms, and multi-factor authentication deployment to reduce the risk of exploitation. The most effective immediate solution involves upgrading to modoboa version 2.1.0 or later, which incorporates enhanced password validation mechanisms and stronger authentication controls. Security administrators should also implement comprehensive password policy enforcement through external identity management solutions, establish regular password strength audits, and deploy monitoring systems to detect suspicious authentication attempts. From an att&ck framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to technique t1110.003 credential access through password guessing and t1078 legitimate credentials, as it enables adversaries to obtain valid credentials through weak password exploitation. Additional mitigations include implementing account lockout policies after failed authentication attempts, deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for credential brute force activities, and establishing user education programs to promote strong password practices within the organization's email security ecosystem.