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Scrape Timestamp (UTC): 2025-12-30 16:28:30.406

Source: https://thehackernews.com/2025/12/csa-issues-alert-on-critical.html

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CSA Issues Alert on Critical SmarterMail Bug Allowing Remote Code Execution. The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) has issued a bulletin warning of a maximum-severity security flaw in SmarterTools SmarterMail email software that could be exploited to achieve remote code execution. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-52691, carries a CVSS score of 10.0. It relates to a case of arbitrary file upload that could enable code execution without requiring any authentication. "Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow an unauthenticated attacker to upload arbitrary files to any location on the mail server, potentially enabling remote code execution," CSA said. Vulnerabilities of this kind allow the upload of dangerous file types that are automatically processed within an application's environment. This could pave the way for code execution if the uploaded file is interpreted and executed as code, as is the case with PHP files. In a hypothetical attack scenario, a bad actor could weaponize this vulnerability to place malicious binaries or web shells that could be executed with the same privileges as the SmarterMail service. SmarterMail is an alternative to enterprise collaboration solutions like Microsoft Exchange, offering features like secure email, shared calendars, and instant messaging. According to information listed on the website, it's used by web hosting providers like ASPnix Web Hosting, Hostek, and simplehosting.ch. CVE-2025-52691 impacts SmarterMail versions Build 9406 and earlier. It has been addressed in Build 9413, which was released on October 9, 2025. CSA credited Chua Meng Han from the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies (CSIT) for discovering and reporting the vulnerability. While the advisory makes no mention of the flaw being exploited in the wild, users are advised to update to the latest version (Build 9483, released on December 18, 2025) for optimal protection.

Daily Brief Summary

VULNERABILITIES // Critical SmarterMail Vulnerability Enables Remote Code Execution Risks

The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore issued a warning about a critical flaw in SmarterTools SmarterMail software, allowing potential remote code execution through arbitrary file uploads.

Identified as CVE-2025-52691, the vulnerability holds a CVSS score of 10.0, indicating maximum severity due to its potential impact.

The flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to upload malicious files, which could be executed as code, posing significant security risks to affected systems.

SmarterMail, a competitor to Microsoft Exchange, is widely used by web hosting providers, increasing the potential impact of this vulnerability.

The issue affects SmarterMail versions up to Build 9406, with a patch released in Build 9413 on October 9, 2025, and further updates available as of December 18, 2025.

The vulnerability was discovered by Chua Meng Han from CSIT, and no active exploitation has been reported; users are urged to update to the latest software version.

Organizations utilizing SmarterMail should prioritize applying the latest security updates to mitigate potential exploitation and safeguard their systems.