CVE-2002-1116 in Mantis
Summary
by MITRE
The "View Bugs" page (view_all_bug_page.php) in Mantis 0.17.4a and earlier includes summaries of private bugs for users that do not have access to any projects.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/24/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-1116 represents a critical access control flaw in the Mantis bug tracking system version 0.17.4a and earlier. This issue manifests through the "View Bugs" page functionality where unauthorized users can access and view summaries of private bugs that should be restricted to specific project members only. The flaw occurs within the view_all_bug_page.php script which fails to properly validate user permissions before displaying bug information, creating an information disclosure vulnerability that undermines the system's security model. This represents a fundamental failure in the application's authorization mechanisms, allowing privilege escalation through data exposure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and access control checks within the Mantis application's authentication framework. When users navigate to the view_all_bug_page.php page, the system does not properly verify whether the requesting user has appropriate project-level permissions to view the specific bug reports. This allows any authenticated user to potentially access private bug data, regardless of their project membership status or role assignments. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and demonstrates a classic lack of proper access control enforcement, which aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in software systems. The flaw essentially bypasses the intended security boundaries that should separate public and private bug information based on user project associations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially compromise the integrity of sensitive development data. Attackers could exploit this flaw to gather intelligence about private bugs, including their nature, severity, and potential impact on the system. This information could be particularly valuable to malicious actors seeking to identify system vulnerabilities or exploit weaknesses in the development process. The exposure of private bug summaries may reveal details about system architecture, security flaws, or development practices that could be leveraged in subsequent attacks. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and could enable more sophisticated attacks, including those categorized under the attack technique of credential access or information gathering in the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper access control validation within the Mantis application. The primary fix involves modifying the view_all_bug_page.php script to enforce strict project membership checks before displaying any bug information. This includes implementing comprehensive user permission verification that cross-references user accounts with project assignments and access levels. Organizations should also consider implementing role-based access controls that define specific permissions for different user groups and ensure that all pages requiring restricted access perform proper authentication and authorization checks. Regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar access control vulnerabilities, and the system should be updated to a patched version of Mantis that addresses this specific flaw. Additionally, implementing network-level controls and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation of this vulnerability.