CVE-2003-0273 in Request Tracker
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the web interface for Request Tracker (RT) 1.0 through 1.0.7 allows remote attackers to execute script via message bodies.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/03/2019
The CVE-2003-0273 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the Request Tracker (RT) web interface versions 1.0 through 1.0.7. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting and specifically affects the input validation mechanisms within the message body processing functionality. The vulnerability enables remote attackers to inject malicious scripts into the web application's interface, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this ticketing system for issue tracking and management.
The technical flaw resides in the insufficient sanitization of user input within the message body fields of the RT web interface. When users submit messages containing specially crafted script code, the application fails to properly escape or filter these inputs before rendering them in the web browser. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers who view the affected messages. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the legitimate functionality of the application itself, making it difficult to distinguish between benign and malicious content at runtime.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can lead to complete session hijacking, data theft, and privilege escalation within the RT environment. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to steal user authentication cookies, access confidential ticket information, or even modify ticket data if the application lacks proper access controls. The vulnerability affects all users interacting with the RT web interface, making it a widespread concern for organizations that have deployed these older versions of the application. This represents a classic server-side XSS attack vector that can be exploited through simple message submission without requiring special privileges or complex attack chains.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to patched versions of Request Tracker to remediate this vulnerability, as no effective workarounds exist for the affected versions. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and output encoding in web applications, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for scripting and T1566.001 for spearphishing with attachments. Security teams should also implement network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and consider deploying web application firewalls to provide additional protection layers. The vulnerability underscores the critical need for regular security updates and proper input sanitization practices as outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.