CVE-2004-0703 in Bugzilla
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in the administrative controls in Bugzilla 2.17.1 through 2.17.7 allows users with "grant membership" privileges to grant memberships to groups that the user does not control.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/23/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-0703 represents a critical access control flaw within the Bugzilla bug tracking system's administrative framework. This issue affects versions 2.17.1 through 2.17.7, where the system fails to properly enforce authorization checks during group membership assignment operations. The flaw specifically targets the administrative controls that govern user permissions and group management within the application's security model. When users possess the "grant membership" privilege, they can manipulate the system to assign users to groups without proper authorization, creating a significant bypass of the intended security boundaries.
This vulnerability operates at the intersection of improper access control and privilege escalation, aligning with CWE-285 which addresses insufficient authorization mechanisms. The technical implementation flaw stems from inadequate validation of group ownership permissions during membership assignment processes. The system fails to verify whether the user with grant membership privileges actually has control over the target group before permitting the assignment, creating a logical error in the access control decision-making process. This allows malicious actors with limited privileges to effectively expand their influence within the system by granting themselves or others access to groups they should not control.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally undermines the integrity of the Bugzilla security model. An attacker with the specific "grant membership" privilege can essentially circumvent the intended hierarchical control structure, potentially gaining access to sensitive information, administrative functions, or confidential bug reports that should be restricted to specific user groups. This flaw creates a persistent security risk that could be exploited by both internal users and external attackers who have managed to acquire the grant membership privilege through other means. The vulnerability particularly affects collaborative environments where Bugzilla serves as a central communication and issue tracking platform, potentially exposing sensitive project data or compromising the security of entire development teams.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper authorization checks at the group membership assignment level. System administrators should immediately upgrade to Bugzilla versions that have addressed this flaw, as the vulnerability affects a specific range of versions that were in use during 2004. The fix typically involves adding validation logic that ensures users can only grant membership to groups they actually control or have explicit authorization to manage. Organizations should also implement principle of least privilege controls, limiting who receives the grant membership privilege to only those users who absolutely require it for their administrative duties. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and can be leveraged to establish persistent access within compromised environments, making it a critical concern for security operations teams responsible for maintaining application security postures.