HIGH CVSS 8.8
Published: 2017-04-20

CVE-2017-7692

squirrelmail squirrelmail Security Advisory (CVE-2017-7692)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2017-7692 impacting squirrelmail squirrelmail. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 8.8 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
SquirrelMail 1.4.22 (and other versions before 20170427_0200-SVN) allows post-authentication remote code execution via a sendmail.cf file that is mishandled in a popen call. It's possible to exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary shell commands on the remote server. The problem is in the Deliver_SendMail.class.php with the initStream function that uses escapeshellcmd() to sanitize the sendmail command before executing it. The use of escapeshellcmd() is not correct in this case since it doesn't escape whitespaces, allowing the injection of arbitrary command parameters. The problem is in -f$envelopefrom within the sendmail command line. Hence, if the target server uses sendmail and SquirrelMail is configured to use it as a command-line program, it's possible to trick sendmail into using an attacker-provided configuration file that triggers the execution of an arbitrary command. For exploitation, the attacker must upload a sendmail.cf file as an email attachment, and inject the sendmail.cf filename with the -C option within the "Options > Personal Informations > Email Address" setting.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
Low (PR:L)
Standard user access required
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product squirrelmail / squirrelmail
Affected Versions 1.4.22
Weakness Enumeration CWE-20

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2017-7692 impacting squirrelmail squirrelmail.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2017-7692.yaml
id: cve-2017-7692

info:
  name: squirrelmail squirrelmail - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2017-7692 affecting squirrelmail squirrelmail.
    Evaluation: SquirrelMail 1.4.22 (and other versions before 20170427_0200-SVN) allows post-authentication remote code execution via a sendmail.cf file that is mish...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2017-7692
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 8.8
    cve-id: CVE-2017-7692
    cwe-id: CWE-20
  tags: cve,cve-2017-7692,squirrelmail,squirrelmail,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "squirrelmail"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2017-7692.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2017-7692
# Target: squirrelmail squirrelmail | CVSS: 8.8 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2017-7692 (squirrelmail squirrelmail)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against squirrelmail squirrelmail scope (1.4.22).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2017-7692.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2017-7692
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install squirrelmail 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade squirrelmail 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update squirrelmail

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i squirrelmail 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i squirrelmail

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2017-7692 in squirrelmail squirrelmail?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update squirrelmail squirrelmail packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2017-7692?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2017-7692?

CVE-2017-7692 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 8.8 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
8.8
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2017-7692
Weakness CWE-20
Vendor squirrelmail
Product squirrelmail
Published 2017-04-20
Vector CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H