CVE-2004-2666 in Mantis
Summary
by MITRE
Mantis before 20041016 provides a complete Issue History (Bug History) in the web interface regardless of view_history_threshold, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information (private bug details) by visiting a bug s web page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/30/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-2666 represents a critical access control flaw in the Mantis bug tracking system prior to version 20041016. This issue stems from a failure in the application's permission model where the system does not properly enforce the view_history_threshold configuration parameter. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated or unauthorized users to access complete issue history and bug details that should be restricted based on user roles and permissions. The flaw manifests when attackers visit specific bug pages through the web interface, bypassing the intended security controls that should limit access to sensitive information.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the web application's failure to validate user privileges against the view_history_threshold setting. This configuration parameter is designed to control which users can view the complete history of bug reports, yet the application fails to enforce this restriction during web page rendering. The flaw operates at the application logic level where the system retrieves and displays all historical data without proper authorization checks, effectively creating a information disclosure vulnerability. This represents a classic case of insufficient access control as defined by CWE-284, where the system fails to properly restrict access to sensitive resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables remote attackers to obtain private bug details that may contain sensitive information about system vulnerabilities, security flaws, or business-critical data. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by simply visiting specific bug report pages without requiring authentication or specific user privileges, potentially gaining access to confidential information that should remain restricted to authorized personnel only. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality aspect of the CIA triad, as it allows unauthorized information disclosure that could compromise system security or business operations.
This vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK framework techniques including T1068 for privilege escalation and T1566 for credential access through application vulnerabilities. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation and access control implementation that violates security best practices. Organizations using affected versions of Mantis should immediately update to version 20041016 or later where this issue has been addressed. The recommended mitigation involves implementing proper access control checks, validating user permissions against configuration parameters, and ensuring that the view_history_threshold setting properly enforces access restrictions. Additionally, organizations should review their permission models and implement defense-in-depth strategies to prevent similar vulnerabilities in other applications.
The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper security configuration management and the need for comprehensive access control validation in web applications. It demonstrates how seemingly minor configuration parameters can have significant security implications when not properly enforced by the application logic. This issue serves as a reminder of the critical importance of validating all user inputs and ensuring that security controls are consistently applied throughout the application lifecycle. Organizations should conduct regular security assessments and implement proper code review processes to identify and remediate similar access control vulnerabilities in their software systems.