CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2024-42008NVD status: Modified

Webmail: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2024-42008 is a critical-severity improper neutralization of input during web page generation vulnerability in Webmail from Roundcube, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.3 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, but only if a user takes part, for example by opening a link or file. The record lists versions 1.5.8, 1.6.8 as the first without the flaw, so updating Webmail to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 34% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is in the top 1.58% of all scored CVEs.

Patch this week

Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.

What to do

  1. Update Webmail to 1.5.8 or 1.6.8, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Read the advisory on roundcube.net for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  3. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
  4. Because the attack needs a user to take part, warn users about unexpected links and files related to this product until it is patched.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
RoundcubeWebmailbefore 1.5.8; 1.6.0 up to, but not including, 1.6.81.5.8, 1.6.8

Version data comes from NVD's product matching. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
RequiredA user must take an action such as opening a file or link.
Scope
ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
NoneAvailability is not affected.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N. Scored by NVD.

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.19.3CriticalNVD
CVSS 3.19.3CriticalCISA (ADP)

Official description

A Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability in rcmail_action_mail_get->run() in Roundcube through 1.5.7 and 1.6.x through 1.6.7 allows a remote attacker to steal and send emails of a victim via a malicious e-mail attachment served with a dangerous Content-Type header.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation

The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. Examples of libraries and frameworks that make it easier to generate properly encoded output include Microsoft's Anti-XSS library, the OWASP ESAPI Encoding module, and Apache Wicket.
  • Understand all the potential areas where untrusted inputs can enter your software: parameters or arguments, cookies, anything read from the network, environment variables, reverse DNS lookups, query results, request headers, URL components, e-mail, files, filenames, databases, and any external systems that provide data to the application. Remember that such inputs may be obtained indirectly through API calls.
  • For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.

More Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation vulnerabilities (CWE-79)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in Webmail

All Webmail vulnerabilities

Recent Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation vulnerabilities

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