CVE-1999-0842

Vulnerability

Symantec Mail-Gear 1.0's web interface, used for remote administration and email retrieval, is susceptible to a directory traversal vulnerability. This flaw exists in the webserver component of the application. Affected versions include Mail-Gear 1.0.

Exploitation

Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting a URL that includes the string ../ to navigate the file system. By appending this string multiple times, an attacker can bypass intended directory restrictions and access files outside the webroot. An example provided shows accessing autoexec.bat on a default NT installation via a request to http://target.host:8003/Display?what=../../../../../autoexec.bat [1].

Impact

Successful exploitation allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files on the server's filesystem to which the Mail-Gear webserver process has read access. This could lead to the disclosure of sensitive information, configuration files, or other system data.

Mitigation

No specific patched version or release date for a fix is mentioned in the available references. Users are advised to restrict access to the Mail-Gear web interface and consider disabling it if not actively in use until a patch is available. Information regarding workarounds or EOL status is not yet disclosed in the available references.