dbcve.org
MailessentialsApplication · Gfi

CVE-2026-23617

MEDIUM · 5.4 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-02-19
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 22.4 or later.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable

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 · unedited
GFI MailEssentials AI versions prior to 22.4 contain a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in the Spam Keyword Checking (Body) conditions interface. An authenticated user can supply HTML/JavaScript in the ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$pvGeneral$TXB_Condition parameter to /MailEssentials/pages/MailSecurity/ASKeywordChecking.aspx, which is stored and later rendered in the management interface, allowing script execution in the context of a logged-in user.

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 confidence

GFI MailEssentials AI prior to version 22.4 contains a stored XSS vulnerability in the Spam Keyword Checking (Body) conditions interface at /MailEssentials/pages/MailSecurity/ASKeywordChecking.aspx. An authenticated attacker can inject malicious HTML/JavaScript via the ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$pvGeneral$TXB_Condition parameter, which persists in storage and executes when other administrators view the management interface.

MitigationUpgrade to version 22.4 or later. Until then, restrict administrative access to trusted personnel and implement input validation with proper output encoding on the affected parameter.

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
MailessentialsApplication
Affected:< 22.4

CVSS 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
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm GFI MailEssentials installation
    Locate the GFI MailEssentials installation directory, typically found in C:\Program Files\GFI\MailEssentials or C:\Program Files (x86)\GFI\MailEssentials on Windows systems.
    Affected if The product is installed on the system.
  2. Identify installed version
    Check the version of GFI MailEssentials by reviewing the software's About section, the installer filename, or version information in the registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\GFI\MailEssentials or HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\GFI\MailEssentials.
    Affected if The installed version is lower than 22.4.
  3. Verify web interface accessibility
    Attempt to access the management interface path /MailEssentials/pages/MailSecurity/ASKeywordChecking.aspx via the local web server (typically port 80/443 or configured SMTP/management port).
    Affected if The web interface is reachable and the Spam Keyword Checking feature is accessible.
  4. Inspect keyword configuration for anomalies
    Navigate to the Spam Keyword Checking (Body) conditions interface and review any existing keyword entries for suspicious HTML tags, script elements, or encoded payloads in the condition fields.
    Affected if Unexpected HTML, JavaScript tags, or encoded content is found stored in the keyword condition configuration.

A user is affected if GFI MailEssentials is installed with a version lower than 22.4 and the management web interface with the Spam Keyword Checking feature is accessible.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 22.4 or later
Fixed in 22.4
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to version 22.4 or later. Until then, restrict administrative access to trusted personnel and implement input validation with proper output encoding on the affected parameter.

Recommended fix High confidence

22.4

  1. Back up the current GFI MailEssentials configuration and database before upgrading
  2. Obtain GFI MailEssentials version 22.4 from the official GFI download page or support portal
  3. Run the version 22.4 installer on the server hosting GFI MailEssentials
  4. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the upgrade installation
  5. After installation, verify the management interface is accessible and functioning
  6. Log in to the GFI MailEssentials management console and navigate to the Spam Keyword Checking page (MailSecurity > ASKeywordChecking.aspx) to confirm the vulnerability is remediated

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Mailessentials Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,984.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-23617 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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