CVE-2024-42008: CVE-2024-42008: A Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability in rcmail_action_mail_get->run() in Roundcube through…

What it is

A Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability in rcmail_action_mail_get->run() in Roundcube through 1.5.7 and 1.6.x through 1.6.7 allows a remote attacker to steal and send emails of a victim via a malicious e-mail attachment served with a dangerous Content-Type header.

Exploitation evidence

First exploit evidence seen: 2025-02-13 (earliest date across the sources below).

Exploited in the wild

No source on this site lists in-the-wild exploitation yet (CISA KEV, VulnCheck KEV).

Public exploit code

GitHub proof-of-concept repositories

3 public repositories from 3 accounts, first seen 2025-02-13. Most starred: victoni/Roundcube-CVE-2024-42008-and-CVE-2024-42010-POC (2 stars), view repository.

Verify before running: public PoCs can be malicious. Read the code and only run it in an isolated lab. A PoC means exploit code is public, not that this CVE is exploited in the wild.

Sources: nomi-sec/PoC-in-GitHub.

How to fix it

Fixed versions

• roundcube webmail: upgrade to 1.5.8 or later
• roundcube webmail: upgrade to 1.6.8 or later (affected from 1.6.0)

Derived from the NVD CPE configuration (versionEndExcluding / versionEndIncluding). Always confirm with the vendor advisory.

Vendor advisories and patches

• https://github.com/roundcube/roundcubemail/releases (Release Notes)
• https://github.com/roundcube/roundcubemail/releases/tag/1.5.8 (Release Notes)
• https://github.com/roundcube/roundcubemail/releases/tag/1.6.8 (Release Notes)
• https://roundcube.net/news/2024/08/04/security-updates-1.6.8-and-1.5.8 (Vendor Advisory)

MITRE ATT&CK mitigations for this chain

• M1050 Exploit Protection (for T1189) : Security applications that look for behavior used during exploitation such as Windows Defender Exploit Guard (WDEG) and the Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET) can be used to mitigate some exploitation behavior. Control flow integrity checking is another way to potentially identify and stop a software exploit
• M1051 Update Software (for T1189) : Ensuring that all browsers and plugins are kept updated can help prevent the exploit phase of this technique. Use modern browsers with security features turned on.
• M1048 Application Isolation and Sandboxing (for T1189) : Browser sandboxes can be used to mitigate some of the impact of exploitation, but sandbox escapes may still exist. Other types of virtualization and application microsegmentation may also mitigate the impact of client-side exploitation. The risks of additional exploits and weaknesses in implementation may still exist
• M1021 Restrict Web-Based Content (for T1189, T1059.007) : Adblockers can help prevent malicious code served through ads from executing in the first place. Script blocking extensions can also help to prevent the execution of JavaScript. Consider disabling browser push notifications from certain applications and browsers.
• M1017 User Training (for T1189) : Train users to be aware of access or manipulation attempts by an adversary to reduce the risk of successful spearphishing, social engineering, and other techniques that involve user interaction.
• M1040 Behavior Prevention on Endpoint (for T1059.007) : On Windows 10, enable Attack Surface Reduction (ASR) rules to prevent [JavaScript](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/007) scripts from executing potentially malicious downloaded content .
• M1038 Execution Prevention (for T1059.007) : Denylist scripting where appropriate.
• M1042 Disable or Remove Feature or Program (for T1059.007) : Turn off or restrict access to unneeded scripting components.

Detection Generic guidance

• Initial Access: Alert on unusual requests to the affected service (odd paths, oversized payloads, exploit strings) in WAF, reverse-proxy and application logs.
• Execution: Watch for the service process spawning shells or script interpreters (cmd.exe, powershell, sh, bash, python) via EDR process-tree rules.

Response checklist Generic guidance

1. Inventory: find every instance of the affected product and version (include internet-facing and forgotten ones).
2. Patch or mitigate per the vendor advisory; if you cannot patch, remove internet exposure or apply the vendor workaround.
3. Assume compromise if the system was exposed before patching: hunt for the indicators in the advisory and review logs back to the disclosure date.
4. Rotate credentials and secrets stored on or used by the affected system if compromise cannot be ruled out.