CVE-2020-26942
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2020-26942 is an authentication bypass vulnerability in Axigen Mail Server that allows unauthenticated attackers to reset the administrator password via a setAdminPassword operation. This affects Axigen Mail Server versions 10.3.x before 10.3.1.27 and 10.3.2.x before 10.3.3.1. Organizations running these vulnerable versions with WebAdmin exposed are at risk.
💻 Affected Systems
- Axigen Mail Server
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete compromise of the mail server with administrative control, allowing attackers to read all emails, modify configurations, create new accounts, and potentially pivot to internal networks.
Likely Case
Attackers gain administrative access to the mail server, enabling email interception, data exfiltration, and further system compromise.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if WebAdmin interface is not exposed to untrusted networks and proper network segmentation is in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending a crafted HTTP request to the WebAdmin interface. Multiple public proof-of-concept scripts are available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 10.3.1.27 or 10.3.3.1 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.axigen.com/knowledgebase/Axigen-WebAdmin-Authentication-Bypass-Vulnerability-CVE-2020-26942-_387.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download the patched version from Axigen's website. 2. Backup current configuration and data. 3. Install the updated version following Axigen's upgrade guide. 4. Restart the Axigen service.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict WebAdmin Access
linuxLimit access to the WebAdmin interface using firewall rules or network segmentation.
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 9000 -s TRUSTED_IP -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 9000 -j DROP
Disable WebAdmin Interface
allTemporarily disable the WebAdmin interface if not required for operations.
Edit axigen.cfg: set 'WebAdminEnabled = no'
Restart Axigen service
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to limit WebAdmin interface access to trusted IP addresses only.
- Monitor WebAdmin access logs for unauthorized password reset attempts and implement alerting.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Axigen version via WebAdmin interface or configuration file. Versions 10.3.x before 10.3.1.27 or 10.3.2.x before 10.3.3.1 are vulnerable.Check Version:
grep 'Version' /path/to/axigen/axigen.cfg or check via WebAdmin interfaceVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 10.3.1.27 or higher for 10.3.x branch, or 10.3.3.1 or higher for 10.3.2.x branch.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual setAdminPassword operations in WebAdmin logs
- Failed authentication attempts followed by successful admin password changes
- Access to WebAdmin from unexpected IP addresses
Network Indicators:
- HTTP POST requests to /setAdminPassword endpoint from unauthenticated sources
- Unusual traffic patterns to WebAdmin port (default 9000)
SIEM Query:
source="axigen.logs" AND "setAdminPassword" AND NOT src_ip IN [trusted_ips]