CVE-2024-11182 in Email Server
Summary
by MITRE • 11/15/2024
An XSS issue was discovered in
MDaemon Email Server before version 24.5.1c. An attacker can send an HTML e-mail message with JavaScript in an img tag. This could allow a remote attacker
to load arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of a webmail user's browser window.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/20/2025
This cross-site scripting vulnerability in MDaemon Email Server represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of webmail interfaces. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization of HTML content within email messages, specifically when processing img tags that contain JavaScript code. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious email messages that appear legitimate but contain embedded malicious scripts within image tags, bypassing traditional email filtering mechanisms that typically focus on text-based content rather than HTML markup.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws where untrusted data is embedded into web pages without proper validation or encoding. In the context of MDaemon's webmail interface, the flaw occurs when the system fails to properly sanitize HTML content before rendering it in the user's browser context. When a victim accesses their webmail and views an email containing malicious JavaScript within an img tag, the browser executes this code within the security context of the authenticated user session, potentially compromising the entire email account.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform a range of malicious activities including session hijacking, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could access sensitive email communications, modify user settings, or even gain administrative control over the email server if the webmail interface provides sufficient privileges. The remote nature of this attack means that victims need only view the malicious email message to be compromised, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users regularly access webmail from shared or public computers.
Organizations using MDaemon Email Server should prioritize immediate patching to version 24.5.1c or later, as this represents the official fix for the identified XSS vulnerability. Security teams should also implement additional defensive measures including enhanced email filtering rules that specifically target HTML content containing suspicious script patterns, web application firewalls that monitor for cross-site scripting attempts, and user education programs to raise awareness about the dangers of opening suspicious email messages. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566.001 (Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment) and T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript), demonstrating how the initial compromise can lead to persistent access and further exploitation within the target environment.