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MailessentialsApplication · Gfi

CVE-2026-23618

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 (Subject) conditions interface. An authenticated user can supply HTML/JavaScript in the ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$pvSubject$TXB_SubjectCondition 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 versions prior to 22.4 contain a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in the Spam Keyword Checking Subject conditions interface. An authenticated attacker can inject malicious HTML/JavaScript via the ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$pvSubject$TXB_SubjectCondition parameter on /MailEssentials/pages/MailSecurity/ASKeywordChecking.aspx, which persists in storage and executes when other administrative users view the management interface.

MitigationUpdate to GFI MailEssentials AI version 22.4 or later, which includes the vendor patch for this vulnerability.

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. Identify GFI MailEssentials AI version
    Locate the installed version of GFI MailEssentials AI through the application's About page, installation directory, or Windows Programs and Features. Common paths include the installation folder or registry entries under HKLM\Software\GFI\MailEssentials.
    Affected if The installed version is lower than 22.4 (e.g., 22.3, 22.2, earlier releases).
  2. Confirm access to the management interface
    Navigate to /MailEssentials/pages/MailSecurity/ASKeywordChecking.aspx using a web browser and verify you can authenticate to the GFI MailEssentials administration console.
    Affected if The page is accessible and the user has administrative privileges to access the Spam Keyword Checking interface.
  3. Inspect stored Subject keyword conditions
    In the Spam Keyword Checking Subject conditions interface, examine any existing subject keyword entries for unexpected or suspicious content. Look for HTML tags, script tags, or unusual encoded characters in the subject condition fields.
    Affected if Any stored subject keyword entries contain HTML/JavaScript code such as <script>, javascript:, or other XSS payloads that were not intentionally entered by administrators.
  4. Review recent administrative activity logs
    Check GFI MailEssentials audit or event logs for recent modifications to the ASKeywordChecking.aspx configuration, specifically around the ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$pvSubject$TXB_SubjectCondition parameter.
    Affected if Log entries show unexpected modifications to subject keyword conditions by users who should not have added those entries.

A user is affected if they are running GFI MailEssentials AI versions prior to 22.4 AND have access to the Spam Keyword Checking Subject interface where unexpected HTML/JavaScript content may be stored and executable.

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

Update to GFI MailEssentials AI version 22.4 or later, which includes the vendor patch for this vulnerability.

Recommended fix High confidence

GFI MailEssentials 22.4

  1. 1. Verify current GFI MailEssentials version by accessing the administration interface or checking the installed software.
  2. 2. Download GFI MailEssentials version 22.4 or later from the official vendor website (gfi.ai).
  3. 3. Create a full backup of the current MailEssentials configuration and database before proceeding with the upgrade.
  4. 4. Stop the GFI MailEssentials services to ensure a clean upgrade process.
  5. 5. Install version 22.4 following the vendor's standard upgrade procedure.
  6. 6. After installation, verify the upgrade was successful by checking the version in the administration interface.
  7. 7. Log into the management interface and navigate to the Spam Keyword Checking (Subject) conditions page to confirm the vulnerability is no longer present.
  8. 8. Test that the functionality for adding and managing spam keyword conditions works correctly in the updated version.
Caveat Review vendor release notes for version 22.4 to check for any configuration or feature changes that may affect your deployment

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

Fix this in Mailessentials Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,080
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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-2026-23618 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