CVE-2003-0155 in Bonsai
Summary
by MITRE
bonsai Mozilla CVS query tool allows remote attackers to gain access to the parameters page without authentication.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/24/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2003-0155 affects the bonsai Mozilla CVS query tool, which was a web-based interface for querying CVS repositories within the Mozilla project ecosystem. This tool served as an administrative interface that allowed developers and users to search and retrieve information from version control systems. The flaw represents a critical authentication bypass vulnerability that fundamentally compromised the security model of the system. The bonsai tool was designed to provide controlled access to CVS repository data through a web interface, but this vulnerability allowed unauthorized users to circumvent the authentication mechanisms entirely.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and authentication checks within the web application layer. When users attempted to access the parameters page of the bonsai tool, the system failed to properly verify user credentials or session tokens before granting access. This represents a classic authentication bypass flaw that can be categorized under CWE-287, which deals with improper authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability likely occurred due to improper handling of HTTP requests where the application did not adequately enforce access controls or validate user permissions before serving sensitive administrative content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability was significant for organizations using the Mozilla CVS infrastructure, as it provided remote attackers with unauthorized access to administrative functions. Attackers could potentially manipulate repository data, view sensitive information, or even modify system configurations through the parameters page. This type of vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers valid accounts used for unauthorized access. The remote nature of the attack meant that adversaries could exploit this without requiring physical access to the system or local network presence, making it particularly dangerous for distributed development environments.
Organizations should have implemented multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability including proper access control enforcement, regular security assessments of web applications, and implementation of secure coding practices. The remediation approach would have required patching the authentication logic to properly validate user credentials before granting access to administrative pages, implementing session management controls, and ensuring that all administrative interfaces required proper authorization checks. This vulnerability highlighted the importance of security testing in development environments and demonstrated how seemingly minor authentication flaws could lead to complete system compromise. The incident underscored the necessity of following secure development lifecycle practices and implementing proper input validation to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive system components.