CVE-2002-1112 in Mantis
Summary
by MITRE
Mantis before 0.17.4 allows remote attackers to list project bugs without authentication by modifying the cookie that is used by the "View Bugs" page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/08/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-1112 represents a critical access control flaw in the Mantis bug tracking system version 0.17.3 and earlier. This issue stems from improper authentication checks within the application's cookie handling mechanism, specifically affecting the "View Bugs" page functionality. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to bypass the system's security controls and access sensitive project bug information through simple cookie manipulation techniques.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves the application's reliance on client-side cookie values to determine user privileges and access permissions. When users navigate to the "View Bugs" page, the system typically checks cookie values to verify authentication status and authorization level. However, the vulnerable version of Mantis fails to properly validate these cookie parameters on the server side, allowing attackers to modify cookie contents to simulate authenticated access. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-285 category of improper authorization checks, where the system does not adequately verify that the requesting user has proper authorization to access specific resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables unauthorized users to access confidential project data including bug reports, issue details, and potentially sensitive development information. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain insights into project vulnerabilities, development timelines, and security weaknesses that could be leveraged in subsequent attacks. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on Mantis for project management and bug tracking, as it undermines the fundamental security assumptions of the application. According to ATT&CK framework, this represents a privilege escalation technique through cookie manipulation, falling under the T1555.004 sub-technique for credential access through token manipulation.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to Mantis version 0.17.4 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the authentication bypass issue. Additional defensive measures include implementing proper server-side validation of all cookie parameters, enforcing strict access controls for sensitive pages, and monitoring for unusual access patterns to bug tracking functionality. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of server-side validation in authentication systems, as client-side cookie manipulation alone should never be sufficient to grant access to protected resources. Security teams should also consider implementing network-level controls to monitor and restrict access to bug tracking systems, particularly when they contain sensitive project information.