CVE-2000-0074 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting the PowerScripts PlusMail CGI program, discovered and published in early 2000. The vulnerability arises due to improper permissions set on a password file used by the PlusMail CGI application. This misconfiguration allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the affected system without authentication. Specifically, the CGI program fails to adequately protect the password file, enabling attackers to leverage this weakness to run commands remotely, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability has a CVSS v2 base score of 7.5, indicating a high risk, with the vector string AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P, meaning it is remotely exploitable over the network, requires no authentication, has low attack complexity, and impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No patches are available for this vulnerability, and there are no known exploits in the wild documented, though the ease of exploitation and severity suggest it could be targeted if systems remain unmitigated. Given the age of the vulnerability and the nature of the affected product, it is likely that legacy systems or environments still running PlusMail CGI programs are at risk. The vulnerability primarily affects systems running the PlusMail CGI program from PowerScripts, which was historically used for mail-related CGI functionalities on web servers. The lack of patch availability necessitates alternative mitigation strategies to reduce risk.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2000-0074 can be significant if legacy systems running PowerScripts PlusMail CGI remain in operation. Successful exploitation allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands without authentication, compromising confidentiality by exposing sensitive data, integrity by altering or injecting malicious content, and availability by potentially disrupting mail services or the underlying server. Organizations relying on PlusMail CGI for mail or web services could face data breaches, service outages, or be used as a foothold for further network intrusion. Although the vulnerability is dated, some sectors with legacy infrastructure—such as government agencies, educational institutions, or small to medium enterprises with outdated web services—may still be vulnerable. The absence of patches increases the risk, as organizations cannot remediate via software updates and must rely on compensating controls. Additionally, the vulnerability’s network accessibility and low complexity make it attractive for opportunistic attackers. The impact is compounded in environments where the compromised system has access to sensitive internal networks or data, potentially leading to broader organizational compromise.

Given the absence of official patches, European organizations should implement the following specific mitigation measures: 1) Identify and inventory all systems running PowerScripts PlusMail CGI to assess exposure. 2) Immediately restrict network access to affected CGI scripts by implementing firewall rules or web server access controls limiting access to trusted IP addresses or internal networks only. 3) Disable or remove the PlusMail CGI program if it is no longer required, or replace it with modern, supported mail CGI solutions. 4) Harden file permissions on the password file and related resources to ensure they are not world-readable or writable; enforce strict least privilege principles. 5) Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block command injection attempts targeting the PlusMail CGI endpoints. 6) Monitor logs for unusual activity indicative of exploitation attempts, such as unexpected command execution or access patterns. 7) Where possible, isolate legacy systems in segmented network zones to limit lateral movement if compromised. 8) Educate system administrators about the risks of running outdated CGI programs and encourage migration to supported platforms. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on access restriction, file permission hardening, and network segmentation tailored to this specific vulnerability.