CVE-2017-5658 : Security Advisory and Response

Apache Pony Mail versions 0.7 to 0.9 had a vulnerability in the statistics generator that could lead to information disclosure on private lists.

Understanding CVE-2017-5658

This CVE involves a security issue in Apache Pony Mail versions 0.7 to 0.9 that could potentially expose timing information of specific email subjects or text bodies in private lists.

What is CVE-2017-5658?

The vulnerability in Apache Pony Mail versions 0.7 to 0.9 allowed timestamp data to be returned without proper authorization checks, potentially revealing the timing of specific email content in private lists.

The Impact of CVE-2017-5658

Exploiting this vulnerability could disclose information about the timing of email subjects or text bodies in private lists, although the actual content would not be revealed.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-5658

Apache Pony Mail versions 0.7 to 0.9 were affected by this vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The statistics generator in Apache Pony Mail versions 0.7 to 0.9 returned timestamp data without proper authorization checks, leading to potential information disclosure on private lists.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Apache Pony Mail
Vendor: Apache Software Foundation
Versions Affected: 0.7 to 0.9 (incubating)

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability could be exploited to reveal information about the timing of specific email subjects or text bodies in private lists.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2017-5658, users should take the following steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Disable the caching feature, primarily used for faster loading times, which has been disabled by default to prevent the issue.

Long-Term Security Practices

Upgrade from version 0.9 to version 0.10 to effectively mitigate the security issue.
Regularly update and patch Apache Pony Mail to ensure the latest security fixes are in place.