CVE-2022-42136
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedAuthenticated mail users, under specific circumstances, could add files with unsanitized content in public folders where the IIS user had permission to access. That action, could lead an attacker to store arbitrary code on that files and execute RCE commands.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceAuthenticated mail users can upload files with unsanitized content to public folders accessible by the IIS service account. This allows attackers to store arbitrary code (e.g., web shells) in writable directories and achieve remote code execution on the server.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 8.66>= 9.0, < 9.85>= 10.00, < 10.42CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check Mailenable versionOpen the Mailenable administration console or check the program version via the Windows installed programs list, or query the Mailenable version from the Windows Registry if availableAffected if The installed version is less than 8.66, OR between 9.0 and 9.85 (inclusive), OR between 10.00 and 10.42 (inclusive)
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Identify public folder locationsLocate the public folder directories configured in Mailenable. These are typically subdirectories under the Mailenable web mail or web server root accessible via HTTPAffected if Public folders exist and are served by IIS in a web-accessible location
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Verify write permissions on public foldersCheck the NTFS permissions on the identified public folder directories. Determine which users or groups have Write or Modify permissions, particularly the IIS IUSR or Application Pool identity accountAffected if The IIS service account (IUSR or similar) or authenticated mail users have Write or Modify permissions to web-accessible public folders
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Check for script execution enabled in public foldersExamine the IIS configuration for the public folder directory. Verify whether script execution permissions are granted or if the folder is configured as an application, which would allow execution of uploaded scripts or executable filesAffected if Script execution is enabled or the public folder is configured as an application in IIS
You are affected if your Mailenable version falls within the vulnerable ranges AND public folders are writable by the IIS account AND script execution is permitted in those directories, allowing arbitrary code upload and execution.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped8.669.8510.42
Implement strict input validation and content sanitization on file uploads to public folders. Restrict or remove write permissions for the IIS user on public folder directories, or implement allowlist-based file type validation.
MailEnable version 8.66, 9.85, or 10.42 (or later) depending on your current major version branch
- 1. Identify current MailEnable version by checking the MailEnable Administrator console or the Windows Programs and Features list
- 2. Download the appropriate fixed version from the official MailEnable website (www.mailenable.com) - version 8.66 or later for 8.x, version 9.85 or later for 9.x, version 10.42 or later for 10.x
- 3. Backup the current MailEnable installation directory and database before proceeding with the upgrade
- 4. Stop the MailEnable services through the Services console or MailEnable Administrator
- 5. Run the MailEnable installer for the chosen fixed version
- 6. Follow the on-screen upgrade wizard instructions, selecting the upgrade option
- 7. After installation completes, start the MailEnable services
- 8. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the version in MailEnable Administrator
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-42136 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-42136 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data