Description

Detects when Apache Commons Email is used without proper SSL server identity verification. This creates a security risk where attackers could perform man-in-the-middle attacks by intercepting SMTP communications with malicious servers, potentially exposing sensitive email content and credentials.

Detection Strategy

• Check if org.apache.commons.mail library is imported in the code

• Look for email send() method calls in the code

• Verify if the email object is created without proper SSL server identity verification

• Report vulnerability when send() is called on an email object that lacks SSL server identity checks

• Check the entire method scope to ensure no SSL protection is added before the send() call

Vulnerable code example

import org.apache.commons.mail.Email;
import org.apache.commons.mail.SimpleEmail;
import org.apache.commons.mail.DefaultAuthenticator;

public class InsecureSmtp {
    public void sendUnsafeEmail() throws Exception {
        // VULNERABLE: Email sent without SSL/TLS configuration
        Email email = new SimpleEmail();...

✅ Secure code example

import org.apache.commons.mail.Email;
import org.apache.commons.mail.SimpleEmail;
import org.apache.commons.mail.DefaultAuthenticator;

public class SecureSmtp {
    public void sendSecureEmail() throws Exception {
        Email email = new SimpleEmail();
        email.setHostName("smtp.example.com");...