# CVE-2017-7692: Command injection in n/a

> Authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary shell commands on the server by injecting parameters into the sendmail command via email attachments and settings.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 20 Apr 2017
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** CVE-2017-5181, DLA-941-1, DSA-3852-1, GHSA-w6jv-pvcq-chp4, MGASA-2017-0121, UBUNTU-CVE-2017-7692

## What is CVE-2017-7692?

CVE-2017-7692 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Squirrelmail Squirrelmail, published on 20 Apr 2017. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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.

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-7692?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Squirrelmail Squirrelmail.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-7692?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2017-7692 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-7692 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- SquirrelMail < 1.4.22 - Remote Code Execution (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Squirrelmail Squirrelmail

- [CVE-2002-0516](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2002-0516/): Command injection in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2020-14932](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-14932/): Deserialization in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-14933](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-14933/): Deserialization in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2007-2631](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-2631/): Cross-site request forgery in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2006-2842](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-2842/): Code injection in n/a (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-7692 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-7692 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Squirrelmail Squirrelmail, published on 20 Apr 2017. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-7692 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Squirrelmail Squirrelmail. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-7692/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-7692/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-7692
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-7692
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-7692

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-7692/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.