Mail System Vulnerability Delivers Root Privileges
The vulnerability in Exim could allow an attacker to remotely execute code with root privileges.
Exim, the mail transfer agent used by more than half the email servers on the Internet, has a vulnerability. The flaw, found in versions from 4.80 through 4.92.1, allows a malicious actor to use an encrypted TLS connection to remotely execute code with root privileges.
The vulnerability, designated CVE-2019-15846, was discovered by researcher Zerons in late July. It takes advantage of the TLS ServerName Indicator (SNI), a feature that allows TLS to serve different certificates for various websites on a single server. A buffer overflow triggered by a relatively simple SNI request followed by a counterfeit client certificate are enough to exploit the vulnerability.
Responsible disclosure procedures were followed and a patch for the vulnerability has been made available in Exim 4.92.2.
For more, read here.
Check out The Edge, Dark Reading's new section for features, threat data, and in-depth perspectives. Today's top story: "8 Ways To Spot an Insider Threat"
About the Author
You May Also Like
DevSecOps/AWS
Oct 17, 2024Social Engineering: New Tricks, New Threats, New Defenses
Oct 23, 202410 Emerging Vulnerabilities Every Enterprise Should Know
Oct 30, 2024Simplify Data Security with Automation
Oct 31, 2024Unleashing AI to Assess Cyber Security Risk
Nov 12, 2024