CVE-1999-1154 is a high-severity vulnerability found in the LakeWeb Filemail CGI script, which was published in 1998. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the affected server by injecting shell metacharacters into the recipient email address parameter. The Filemail CGI script is designed to facilitate email file transfers via a web interface. However, due to insufficient input validation and sanitization, an attacker can craft a malicious recipient email address containing shell metacharacters (such as semicolons, backticks, or pipes) that the script passes directly to the underlying shell command. This results in command injection, enabling the attacker to execute arbitrary system commands with the privileges of the web server process. The vulnerability has a CVSS v2 score of 7.5, indicating high severity, with network attack vector, low attack complexity, no authentication required, and impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No patches or updates are available for this vulnerability, and there are no known exploits in the wild currently documented. Given the age of the vulnerability and the product, it is likely that the Filemail CGI script is no longer widely used or maintained, but legacy systems may still be at risk if they continue to run this software without mitigation.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant if legacy systems running the LakeWeb Filemail CGI script are still operational. Successful exploitation allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands, potentially leading to full system compromise. This can result in unauthorized data access or exfiltration, disruption of services, and the ability to pivot within the network. Confidentiality is at risk due to potential data breaches; integrity can be compromised by unauthorized modifications; and availability may be affected if attackers disrupt or disable services. Organizations in sectors with legacy web infrastructure, such as government agencies, educational institutions, or small to medium enterprises that have not updated their web applications, are particularly vulnerable. The lack of available patches means that mitigation must rely on compensating controls. The threat is exacerbated by the fact that no authentication or user interaction is required, making exploitation feasible by any remote attacker with network access to the vulnerable CGI script endpoint.

Since no official patches or updates are available for this vulnerability, European organizations should take the following specific mitigation steps: 1) Identify and inventory all systems running the LakeWeb Filemail CGI script or similar legacy CGI scripts. 2) Immediately disable or remove the vulnerable Filemail CGI script from production environments to eliminate the attack surface. 3) If removal is not feasible, implement strict input validation and sanitization on the recipient email address parameter to filter out shell metacharacters and other potentially dangerous inputs. 4) Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block command injection attempts targeting this CGI script. 5) Restrict network access to the vulnerable web server by limiting inbound traffic to trusted IP ranges and enforcing segmentation to reduce exposure. 6) Monitor logs and network traffic for suspicious activity indicative of command injection attempts. 7) Consider migrating to modern, actively maintained file transfer solutions that do not rely on vulnerable CGI scripts. 8) Educate IT staff about the risks of legacy CGI scripts and the importance of timely software updates and decommissioning outdated components.