CVE-2002-2260 in Bugzilla
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the quips feature in Mozilla Bugzilla 2.10 through 2.17 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the "show all quips" page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/09/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-2260 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness within Mozilla Bugzilla versions 2.10 through 2.17, specifically affecting the quips feature functionality. This flaw exists in the "show all quips" page implementation where user input is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered back to web browsers. The security implications are severe as this allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of legitimate user sessions, potentially compromising the integrity of the Bugzilla application and the data it manages.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within the quips display functionality. When users submit quips or when the system displays existing quips on the "show all quips" page, the application fails to properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This creates an environment where attackers can inject malicious payloads that execute in the browsers of other users who view the affected page. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')", which is a fundamental web application security weakness that has been consistently identified as one of the most prevalent threats in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can be exploited to perform various malicious activities within the Bugzilla environment. Attackers could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, modify displayed content, or even escalate privileges within the application if the Bugzilla instance has additional vulnerabilities. The affected versions represent a significant portion of Bugzilla's user base during that time period, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could impact numerous development organizations and security teams who relied on Bugzilla for tracking security issues and vulnerabilities in their software development processes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-2260 should focus on immediate input sanitization and output encoding measures. Organizations using affected Bugzilla versions should apply the vendor-provided patches or upgrade to versions that have addressed this vulnerability. The recommended approach involves implementing proper HTML escaping for all user-supplied content before rendering it on web pages, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for "Exploitation for Credential Access" and T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript." Additionally, organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and establish input validation controls that reject or sanitize potentially malicious content. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in OWASP Top Ten and the principle of defense in depth, ensuring that multiple layers of protection exist to prevent similar issues from occurring in other parts of the application.