CVE-2004-1731 in Mantis
Summary
by MITRE
signup_page.php in Mantis bugtracker allows remote attackers to send e-mail bombs by creating multiple users and providing the same e-mail address.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1731 affects the Mantis bugtracking system, specifically targeting the signup_page.php component. This flaw represents a denial of service condition that can be exploited by remote attackers to overwhelm target email systems through mass email generation. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and user account management controls within the application's registration process. Attackers can leverage this weakness by creating multiple user accounts while consistently providing identical email addresses, thereby triggering excessive email notifications that can flood recipient mail servers and potentially disrupt legitimate communication channels.
This security weakness manifests as a lack of proper rate limiting and duplicate detection mechanisms during user registration. The vulnerability falls under the category of improper input validation and inadequate access controls as classified by CWE-20. The Mantis bugtracker system fails to implement sufficient checks to prevent abuse of its user registration functionality, allowing malicious actors to exploit the system's email notification mechanisms for disruptive purposes. The flaw essentially enables a form of email bombing attack where the attacker can generate numerous email messages through legitimate system functions, bypassing typical email filtering and spam detection measures that would normally prevent such abuse.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the integrity of email communications within organizations using Mantis. When exploited, the vulnerability can cause legitimate email systems to become overwhelmed with messages from the same email address, leading to delivery failures, increased server load, and potential blacklisting of the affected email domains. Organizations relying on Mantis for bug tracking may experience significant disruption to their communication infrastructure, particularly if they operate under strict email governance policies or have limited email capacity. The vulnerability also represents a potential vector for social engineering attacks, as the excessive email volume can obscure legitimate notifications and create confusion among users.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-1731 should focus on implementing robust user registration controls including rate limiting mechanisms, duplicate email address detection, and enhanced input validation. System administrators should configure the Mantis application to enforce reasonable limits on user registration attempts from the same IP address or email address within a given time period. The implementation of CAPTCHA mechanisms or email verification processes can help prevent automated abuse of the registration system. Additionally, network-level controls such as email throttling and rate limiting at the mail server level can provide additional protection against email bombing attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring and alerting systems to detect unusual registration patterns and automatically trigger administrative responses when suspicious activity is detected, aligning with defensive techniques outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the execution and privilege escalation domains. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper access control implementation and input validation in web applications, emphasizing that even seemingly benign functionality can become a security risk when not properly secured against abuse.