CVE-2002-0803 in Bugzilla
Summary
by MITRE
Bugzilla 2.14 before 2.14.2, and 2.16 before 2.16rc2, allows remote attackers to display restricted products and components via a direct HTTP request to queryhelp.cgi.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-0803 affects Bugzilla versions prior to 2.14.2 and 2.16rc2, representing a significant access control flaw that undermines the security model of the issue tracking system. This vulnerability resides in the queryhelp.cgi component which is responsible for providing help and information about query parameters within the Bugzilla interface. The flaw allows malicious actors to bypass normal access controls and retrieve sensitive information about restricted products and components that should typically be hidden from unauthorized users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and access control mechanisms within the queryhelp.cgi script. When users make direct HTTP requests to this component, the application fails to properly authenticate and authorize the requestor before disclosing information about system components. This represents a classic case of insufficient access control as defined by CWE-284, where improper privileges are granted to users who should not have access to certain data. The vulnerability exploits the lack of proper session validation and permission checking that should occur before any sensitive data is returned to the requesting client.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it enables attackers to gather intelligence about the organization's software development environment and infrastructure. By accessing restricted product and component information, threat actors can gain insights into the company's internal processes, project structures, and potentially identify other vulnerabilities within the system. This reconnaissance capability can be leveraged to plan more sophisticated attacks targeting specific components or projects that are not publicly visible. The vulnerability also violates fundamental security principles of information hiding and access control, as it allows unauthorized disclosure of data that should remain confidential within the organization's internal systems.
Organizations using affected Bugzilla versions should immediately implement the patch released by the Bugzilla team to address this access control weakness. The remediation involves updating to Bugzilla 2.14.2 or 2.16rc2 where proper authentication checks have been implemented for the queryhelp.cgi component. Additional mitigations include implementing network-level restrictions to limit access to administrative components, configuring proper firewall rules to restrict direct access to sensitive CGI scripts, and conducting regular security audits to identify similar access control vulnerabilities. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' and demonstrates how insufficient access controls can be exploited to gain unauthorized information access. Organizations should also consider implementing comprehensive monitoring of access patterns to the queryhelp.cgi component to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper access control implementation in web applications and highlights the need for thorough security testing of all components that handle sensitive data.