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Russia-Linked APT28 Exploited MDaemon Zero

Vulnerabilities mentionedAll →

CVEVulnerabilityCVSSEPSSFlagsAffectedExposurePublished
CVE-2020-12641
Command Injection RCE in Roundcube Webmail (CVE-2020-12641)

Roundcube Webmail versions before 1.4.4 contain an OS command injection flaw (CWE-78) in rcube_image.php: shell metacharacters in the im_convert_path or im_identify_path configuration settings are not escaped before the configured ImageMagick binaries are executed. When image processing is triggered, an attacker who can control those configuration values can append arbitrary shell commands that run with the privileges of the web server user, yielding full remote code execution on the mail server. Successful exploitation can expose stored email, mail credentials, and the underlying host; the flaw is scored 9.8 (critical), with no privileges or user interaction required per the CVSS vector. Any self-hosted Roundcube deployment older than 1.4.4 is affected, including Roundcube packages shipped by openSUSE Leap and openSUSE Backports for SUSE Linux Enterprise. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild: CISA added it to the KEV catalog on 2023-06-22, EPSS puts the 30-day exploitation probability at ~84%, and headlines note APT28-linked activity targeting government Roundcube servers, including Ukrainian entities.

Do: Upgrade Roundcube to 1.4.4 or later, or apply the vendor-patched openSUSE Leap / SLE backport packages, as required by the CISA KEV listing (added 2023-06-22). After patching, verify that im_convert_path and im_identify_path settings contain no unescaped metacharacters and review web server logs for injected command activity; given APT28's targeting of government Roundcube servers, prioritize public-sector mail infrastructure for patching and threat hunting.

9.884% KEV PoC
  • roundcube webmail all versions before 1.4.4
  • opensuse leap packages shipping Roundcube before 1.4.4 (fixed via openSUSE updates)
  • opensuse backports sle packages shipping Roundcube before 1.4.4 (fixed via openSUSE updates)
masstens of thousands of internet-exposed Roundcube instances; millions of end users via bundled/self-hosted deployments (estimate)
CVE-2020-35730
Cross-Site Scripting in Roundcube Webmail Plain-Text Email Link Handling

Roundcube Webmail contains a cross-site scripting (XSS) flaw (CWE-79) in the link-reference handling of rcube_string_replacer.php, where the linkref_addindex function mishandles JavaScript embedded in a link element of a plain-text email. An attacker triggers the flaw simply by sending a crafted plain-text message to a victim; when the message is processed/displayed in the Roundcube interface, the embedded script executes in the context of the victim's webmail session. Successful exploitation can lead to session hijacking, theft of webmail cookies or credentials, and arbitrary actions in the victim's mailbox. Any deployment of Roundcube Webmail is affected, which includes self-hosted instances and webmail offered by hosting providers, ISPs, and universities. Although no public proof-of-concept is known, CISA added this vulnerability to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2023-06-22, confirming exploitation in the wild; ransomware association is unknown, and no CVSS score is yet available, though EPSS puts 30-day exploitation probability at 32.7% (98th percentile).

Do: Apply the vendor's updated Roundcube release per CISA's required action (updates per vendor instructions); since no specific fixed versions appear in this data, install the latest patched release of your deployed 1.x branch and verify with the vendor advisory. Check webmail servers for processing of plain-text messages with link-reference elements and review logs for anomalous webmail sessions; treat KEV-listed status as evidence of active exploitation and prioritize internet-exposed Roundcube instances.

6.133% KEV
  • Roundcube Webmail
masslikely >1M users across tens of thousands of exposed instances (Roundcube is bundled as webmail in cPanel/Plesk and by many ISPs)
CVE-2021-44026
SQL Injection in Roundcube Webmail via Search Parameters

Roundcube Webmail contains a SQL injection flaw (CWE-89) in which attacker-controlled 'search' or 'search_params' input is incorporated into database queries without sufficient sanitization. An attacker with access to the webmail search functionality (typically an authenticated mailbox user) can submit crafted parameters to execute arbitrary SQL against the Roundcube backend database, potentially reading or modifying stored mail account data. Any organization running Roundcube is affected, including self-hosted mail servers and customers of hosting providers that ship Roundcube as their bundled webmail client. The flaw was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2023-06-22, indicating exploitation in the wild, and EPSS assigns a 41.9% probability of exploitation within 30 days (99th percentile). No public proof-of-concept is known, and CISA lists ransomware use as unknown.

Do: Apply vendor updates per Roundcube's instructions by upgrading to the latest patched, supported release, prioritizing internet-facing webmail servers; federal agencies must remediate per the CISA KEV requirement. If Roundcube is managed by a hosting provider (e.g., via cPanel), coordinate patching with them. In the interim, restrict webmail exposure and review database and web logs for anomalous search-related queries that may indicate exploitation.

9.842% KEV
  • Roundcube Webmail
massmillions of users across tens of thousands of exposed Roundcube deployments (estimated)
CVE-2023-43770
Persistent Cross-Site Scripting in Roundcube Webmail (Exploited in the Wild)

Roundcube Webmail versions before 1.4.14, 1.5.x before 1.5.4, and 1.6.x before 1.6.3 contain a persistent cross-site scripting (XSS) flaw (CWE-79) caused by how program/lib/Roundcube/rcube_string_replacer.php converts plain text into clickable links. An attacker sends a text/plain email containing crafted links; when the recipient views the message, the crafted link text is turned into HTML that runs attacker-controlled script, which persists and executes in the victim's webmail session. Successful exploitation lets the attacker execute JavaScript with the victim's session, enabling mailbox access, theft of session credentials, and actions performed as the user (CVSS 6.1, scope-changed with limited confidentiality and integrity impact). Anyone running an affected Roundcube instance is exposed, including the roundcube package shipped with Debian Linux. The flaw is being actively exploited: CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2024-02-12, and EPSS assigns a 58.5% probability of exploitation within 30 days (99th percentile).

Do: Upgrade Roundcube to 1.4.14, 1.5.4, or 1.6.3 (or later, per branch), or install the updated roundcube package on Debian. Because the bug is in CISA's KEV catalog, U.S. federal agencies must apply the vendor fix by the catalog due date, and other defenders should prioritize patching internet-facing webmail servers. Review webmail access logs for suspicious message views or account activity, and consider forcing session re-authentication for accounts that opened crafted plain-text messages.

6.158% KEV
  • Roundcube Webmail before 1.4.14; 1.5.x before 1.5.4; 1.6.x before 1.6.3
  • Debian Linux (roundcube package)
massplausibly millions of users across tens of thousands of internet-exposed Roundcube instances (estimate)
CVE-2024-11182
Unauthenticated Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in MDaemon Email Server Webmail

MDaemon Email Server versions before 24.5.1c contain a cross-site scripting flaw (CWE-79) in its handling of HTML email: JavaScript embedded in an img tag is not properly sanitized. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can trigger it simply by sending a crafted HTML email that a webmail user then opens, requiring no privileges but relying on user interaction. Successful exploitation loads attacker-supplied JavaScript in the context of the webmail user's browser window, which could enable session or credential theft and further intrusions from that user's session. Any organization running an affected MDaemon version with users of its webmail client is affected; MDaemon is a commercial on-premises Windows mail server used mainly by small and mid-sized organizations. The flaw is being actively exploited: CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2025-05-19, and public reporting ties MDaemon exploitation to Russia-linked APT28 (Fancy Bear) campaigns that targeted the email of high-level Ukrainians and their military suppliers.

Do: Upgrade to MDaemon Email Server 24.5.1c or later, prioritizing installations whose webmail is exposed to the internet, since the flaw is actively exploited and KEV-listed. Review webmail access and message-viewing logs for suspicious activity, especially in organizations that may be targeted by APT28 (Ukrainian government, military, or defense-supply interests). Federal agencies must follow CISA KEV required actions (apply vendor mitigations per instructions and applicable BOD 22-01 guidance, or discontinue use if mitigations are unavailable) by the required due date.

5.318% KEV
  • MDaemon Technologies MDaemon Email Server all versions before 24.5.1c
moderatetens of thousands of on-premises deployments; plausibly on the order of 10,000–100,000 webmail users
CVE-2024-27443
Cross-Site Scripting in Zimbra Collaboration Suite CalendarInvite (Classic Webmail)

CVE-2024-27443 is a cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79) in the CalendarInvite feature of the Zimbra webmail classic user interface in Synacor Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS). It is triggered when a user's browser renders an email containing a crafted calendar header, causing attacker-controlled JavaScript to execute within the webmail session. Successful exploitation allows an attacker to run arbitrary JavaScript in the victim's browser, enabling session/cookie theft and actions performed as the victim inside webmail; no public proof-of-concept is known and CVSS has not yet been scored. Organizations running ZCS where users access mail through the classic webmail UI are affected (deployments restricted to the modern UI are not impacted), though specific affected version ranges have not been published in the available data. The flaw was added to the CISA KEV catalog on 2025-05-19, confirming exploitation in the wild, and EPSS currently estimates a 23.6% probability of exploitation within 30 days (98th percentile).

Do: Update ZCS to the patched release for your branch per Synacor/Zimbra's security advisory (specific fixed version numbers are not included in the available data) and confirm whether the classic webmail UI is enabled for any users. Review webmail access logs for suspicious calendar-invite traffic, and note that federal agencies must apply vendor mitigations per BOD 22-01 guidance or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

6.124% KEV
  • Synacor Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS)
mass≈ mass
Full article785 words · extracted from thehackernews.com · click to collapse

A Russia-linked threat actor has been attributed to a cyber espionage operation targeting webmail servers such as Roundcube, Horde, MDaemon, and Zimbra via cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities, including a then-zero-day in MDaemon, according to new findings from ESET.

The activity, which commenced in 2023, has been codenamed Operation RoundPress by the Slovak cybersecurity company. It has been attributed with medium confidence to the Russian state-sponsored hacking group tracked as APT28, which is also referred to as BlueDelta, Fancy Bear, Fighting Ursa, Forest Blizzard, FROZENLAKE, Iron Twilight, ITG05, Pawn Storm, Sednit, Sofacy, and TA422.

"The ultimate goal of this operation is to steal confidential data from specific email accounts," ESET researcher Matthieu Faou said in a report shared with The Hacker News. "Most victims are governmental entities and defense companies in Eastern Europe, although we have observed governments in Africa, Europe, and South America being targeted as well."

This is not the first time APT28 has been tied to attacks exploiting flaws in webmail software. In June 2023, Recorded Future detailed the threat actor's abuse of multiple flaws in Roundcube (CVE-2020-12641, CVE-2020-35730, and CVE-2021-44026) to conduct reconnaissance and data gathering.

Since then, other threat actors like Winter Vivern and UNC3707 (aka GreenCube) have also targeted email solutions, including Roundcube, in various campaigns over the years. Operation RoundPress' ties to APT28 stem from overlaps in the email address used to send the spear-phishing emails and similarities in the way certain servers were configured.

A majority of the targets of the campaign in 2024 have been found to be Ukrainian governmental entities or defense companies in Bulgaria and Romania, some of which are producing Soviet-era weapons to be sent to Ukraine. Other targets include government, military, and academic organizations in Greece, Cameroon, Ecuador, Serbia, and Cyprus.

The attacks entail the exploitation of XSS vulnerabilities in Horde, MDaemon, and Zimbra to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of the webmail window. It's worth noting that CVE-2023-43770, an XSS bug in Roundcube, was added by the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog in February 2024.

While the attacks targeting Horde (an unspecified old flaw fixed in Horde Webmail 1.0 released in 2007), Roundcube (CVE-2023-43770), and Zimbra (CVE-2024-27443) leveraged security defects already known and patched, the MDaemon XSS vulnerability is assessed to have been used by the threat actor as a zero-day. Assigned the CVE identifier CVE-2024-11182 (CVSS score: 5.3), it was patched in version 24.5.1 last November.

"Sednit sends these XSS exploits by email," Faou said. "The exploits lead to the execution of malicious JavaScript code in the context of the webmail client web page running in a browser window. Therefore, only data accessible from the victim's account can be read and exfiltrated."

However, for the exploit to be successful, the target must be convinced to open the email message in the vulnerable webmail portal, assuming it's able to bypass the software's spam filters and land on the user's inbox. The contents of the email themselves are innocuous, as the malicious code that triggers the XSS flaw resides within the HTML code of the email message's body and, therefore, is not visible to the user.

Successful exploitation leads to the execution of an obfuscated JavaScript payload named SpyPress that comes with the ability to steal webmail credentials and harvest email messages and contact information from the victim's mailbox. The malware, despite lacking a persistence mechanism, gets reloaded every time the booby-trapped email message is opened.

"In addition, we detected a few SpyPress.ROUNDCUBE payloads that have the ability to create Sieve rules," ESET said. "SpyPress.ROUNDCUBE creates a rule that will send a copy of every incoming email to an attacker-controlled email address. Sieve rules are a feature of Roundcube and therefore the rule will be executed even if the malicious script is no longer running."

The gathered information is subsequently exfiltrated via an HTTP POST request to a hard-coded command-and-control (C2) server. Select variants of the malware have also been found to capture login history, two-factor authentication (2FA) codes, and even create an application password for MDAEMON to retain access to the mailbox even if the password or the 2FA code gets changed.

"Over the past two years, webmail servers such as Roundcube and Zimbra have been a major target for several espionage groups such as Sednit, GreenCube, and Winter Vivern," Faou said. "Because many organizations don't keep their webmail servers up to date and because the vulnerabilities can be triggered remotely by sending an email message, it is very convenient for attackers to target such servers for email theft."

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Text extracted automatically; images, tables and formatting may be missing. Original: https://thehackernews.com/2025/05/russia-linked-apt28-exploited-mdaemon.html