Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessCraft email with forged subject tags
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ExploitBypass sanitization filter in SEPPmail gateway
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ExecutionInject spoofed [signed OK] marker
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ImpactDeceive recipient into trusting unsigned message
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V2 - Validation and Business Logic Input validation, allowlisting
|
| Exploitation Conditions | Remote unauthenticated attacker can send crafted emails to SEPPmail Secure Email Gateway versions before 15.0.3. The gateway processes emails without proper subject line sanitization, allowing forging of security tags like [signed OK]. No victim interaction required; exploitation occurs during email processing. |
| Impact | Without CVSS scoring data, real-world risk assessment relies on contextual factors: the vulnerability is a tag-forgery and header-injection class issue affecting an email security gateway-a high-value target because compromising its authentication indicators directly undermines downstream email security for all users behind it. The attack vector is remote (email-based), complexity is likely low (subject line injection), and no authentication is typically required to send external email. NCSC.ch's disclosure elevates visibility and credibility. The absence of CVSS scoring and EPSS data limits quantified risk ranking, but the nature of the flaw (authentication bypass via sanitization bypass) is strategically significant: a single compromised email can reach hundreds or thousands of recipients with forged trust signals. Organizations using SEPPmail should prioritize this as a medium-to-high priority based on their email threat model and user education gaps. The lack of confirmed active exploitation does not reduce priority-email spoofing attacks are typically cost-effective and don't require sophisticated tooling once the bypass mechanism is known. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An external attacker sends a phishing email with a forged subject line containing a [signed OK] tag or similar authentication indicator. The email passes through the unpatched SEPPmail Secure Email Gateway, which fails to properly sanitize or reject the forged tag because of the input validation flaw. An end user receives the email with the spoofed authentication signal, perceives it as legitimate, and clicks a malicious link or provides credentials to a fake login page. This attack is particularly effective because it exploits the user's trust in their own email security infrastructure rather than the email protocol itself. The simplicity and scalability of subject-line injection attacks makes this a practical threat even without specialized exploit code. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Apr 02, 2026
SEPPmail Secure Email Gateway before version 15.0.3 allows remote attackers to bypass subject line sanitization controls and forge authentication tags such as [signed OK], enabling email spoofing attacks that could deceive recipients into trusting fraudulent or malicious messages. The vulnerability affects all versions prior to 15.0.3 and has been publicly disclosed by NCSC.ch; no public exploit code or active exploitation has been independently confirmed at time of analysis.
RemediationAI
The primary remediation is to upgrade SEPPmail Secure Email Gateway to version 15.0.3 or later. Vendor-released patch: 15.0.3 (available per the Release Notes published at https://downloads.seppmail.com/extrelnotes/150/ERN15.0.html#seppmail-vulnerability-disclosure-1503). Organizations should apply this update promptly to restore proper subject line sanitization and prevent tag forgery. Interim workarounds such as additional email filtering rules or user awareness training on suspicious authentication indicators may provide limited defense-in-depth during patch testing, but do not replace the patch. After patching, administrators should monitor email logs for evidence of past exploitation attempts and consider notifying users if suspected phishing campaigns exploiting this bypass have been detected.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
SEPPmail Secure Email Gateway is a mail security appliance that sanitizes email headers and applies trust indicators (such as [signed OK] tags) to inform recipients about message authentication status. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation (CWE-20: Improper Input Validation) in the subject line processing logic, allowing attackers to inject or manipulate these authentication tags. The affected product is identified by CPE cpe:2.3:a:seppmail:secure_email_gateway:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*, indicating all versions of the gateway prior to patching are in scope. By forging authentication tags, attackers can circumvent the gateway's core function of providing recipients with reliable indicators of message legitimacy, breaking the trust chain that email security gateways are designed to establish.
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:H/SA:N
Primary rating from Vendor (NCSC.ch) · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorVendor: NCSC.ch
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionCVE.org
SEPPmail Secure Email Gateway before version 15.0.3 allows an attacker to bypass subject sanitization and forge tags such as [signed OK].
Executive ViewAI
SEPPmail Secure Email Gateway versions before 15.0.3 contain a critical email authentication bypass vulnerability that allows attackers to forge trust indicators and spoof sender identity, directly compromising the integrity of email-based communications and potentially enabling business email compromise attacks. Organizations relying on SEPPmail for email security and compliance require immediate patching to prevent credential compromise and regulatory violations through fraudulent message delivery.
Apply vendor patch. If immediate patching is not feasible: enforce strict DMARC policy (p=reject), implement DKIM signature verification at gateway level, disable subject line modification features if operationally viable, and increase email security awareness training focusing on visual authentication indicator trust.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.
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EUVD-2026-18162
GHSA-239h-g863-fm9x
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
Exploit-DB