CVE-2021-44549

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Last Modified: UTC

ImportantImportant ImpactWhat does this mean?

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Description

A vulnerability was found in Apache Sling Commons Messaging Mail(angus-mail), which provides a simple interface for sending emails via SMTPS in OSGi, does not offer an option to enable server identity checks, leaving connections vulnerable to "man-in-the-middle" attacks and can allow insecure email communication.

A vulnerability was found in Apache Sling Commons Messaging Mail(angus-mail), which provides a simple interface for sending emails via SMTPS in OSGi, does not offer an option to enable server identity checks, leaving connections vulnerable to "man-in-the-middle" attacks and can allow insecure email communication.

Statement

This vulnerability should be considered of important severity rather than moderate because it directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of email communications over SMTPS. By disabling server identity checks, it leaves the communication channel vulnerable to "man-in-the-middle" (MITM) attacks, where an attacker could intercept, alter, or eavesdrop on email traffic by impersonating the legitimate mail server.

This vulnerability should be considered of important severity rather than moderate because it directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of email communications over SMTPS. By disabling server identity checks, it leaves the communication channel vulnerable to "man-in-the-middle" (MITM) attacks, where an attacker could intercept, alter, or eavesdrop on email traffic by impersonating the legitimate mail server.

Mitigation

Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base or stability.

Additional information

  • Bugzilla 2315808: angus-mail: Enabling Secure Server Identity Checks for Safer SMTPS Communication
  • CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation
  • FAQ: Frequently asked questions about CVE-2021-44549

Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details

Important note

CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).

CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
Red HatNVD

CVSS v3 Base Score

7.4

7.4

Attack Vector

Network

Network

Attack Complexity

High

High

Privileges Required

None

None

User Interaction

None

None

Scope

Unchanged

Unchanged

Confidentiality Impact

High

High

Integrity Impact

High

High

Availability Impact

None

None

CVSS v3 Vector

Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Red Hat's CVSS v3 score or Impact different from other vendors?

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