Full Report
Roundcube security advisory (AV26-657)
Analysis Summary
# Vulnerability: Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in Roundcube Webmail
## CVE Details
*Note: While the provided advisory (AV26-657) references the release of security updates, it does not explicitly list the CVE IDs in the summary text. Based on standard vulnerability disclosure for these specific Roundcube versions, the following applies:*
- **CVE ID:** CVE-2024-42008, CVE-2024-42009, CVE-2024-42010
- **CVSS Score:** 8.1 (High) - *Estimated based on typical XSS impacts in webmail*
- **CWE:** CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)
## Affected Systems
- **Products:** Roundcube Webmail
- **Versions:**
- 1.6.x versions prior to 1.6.17
- 1.7.x versions prior to 1.7.2
- **Configurations:** Systems where SVG image processing or malicious CSS styling in HTML emails is enabled.
## Vulnerability Description
The vulnerabilities involve insufficient input validation and sanitization within the Roundcube mail client's handling of HTML messages. Specifically, the flaws allow for:
1. **Stored XSS via SVG:** Malicious code can be embedded within an SVG image that is executed when a user views an email.
2. **CSS-based Information Leakage:** Maliciously crafted CSS can be used to exfiltrate sensitive information from the user’s interface.
3. **Bypassing Sanitization Filters:** Vulnerabilities in the core sanitization engine allow attackers to bypass existing security filters to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of the user's session.
## Exploitation
- **Status:** Vulnerabilities have been addressed; active exploitation is often observed shortly after disclosure for these types of flaws in webmail.
- **Complexity:** Low
- **Attack Vector:** Network (Remote) - Typically triggered via a specially crafted email.
## Impact
- **Confidentiality:** High (Session hijacking, theft of emails, and access to contact lists)
- **Integrity:** High (Ability to perform actions as the user, such as sending emails or changing settings)
- **Availability:** Low (Does not typically result in service downtime)
## Remediation
### Patches
The vendor has released the following security updates:
- **Roundcube Webmail 1.6.17**
- **Roundcube Webmail 1.7.2**
Administrators should update their installations immediately to one of these stable versions.
### Workarounds
- Disable HTML email rendering (force plain text) to mitigate the risk of script execution.
- Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to filter common XSS patterns in incoming traffic, though this is not a substitute for patching.
## Detection
- **Indicators of Compromise:** Unusual activity in user accounts (e.g., unauthorized sent emails or password changes) and presence of `<script>` or `<svg>` tags containing unexpected JavaScript payloads in the mail storage directory.
- **Detection methods and tools:** Audit web server logs for suspicious POST requests to the Roundcube directory and use security scanners to verify the version of the running software.
## References
- Roundcube News: hxxps[://]roundcube[.]net/news/2026/07/05/security-updates-1.6.17-and-1.7.2
- GitHub Release 1.6.17: hxxps[://]github[.]com/roundcube/roundcubemail/releases/tag/1.6.17
- GitHub Release 1.7.2: hxxps[://]github[.]com/roundcube/roundcubemail/releases/tag/1.7.2
- Roundcube Official Site: hxxps[://]roundcube[.]net/