CVE-2005-2174 in Bugzilla
Summary
by MITRE
Bugzilla 2.17.x, 2.18 before 2.18.2, 2.19.x, and 2.20 before 2.20rc1 inserts a bug into the database before it is marked private, which introduces a race condition and allows attackers to access information about the bug via buglist.cgi before MySQL replication is complete.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/07/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-2174 represents a critical race condition in Bugzilla version 2.17.x through 2.18.1 and 2.19.x, as well as versions prior to 2.20rc1. This flaw occurs during the database insertion process where bug records are written to the database before they are properly marked as private, creating a temporal window where unauthorized users can access sensitive information through the buglist.cgi interface. The issue specifically manifests in environments utilizing MySQL replication, where the database synchronization process introduces additional complexity to the timing-sensitive operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the improper sequencing of database operations within Bugzilla's bug submission workflow. When a user submits a bug report that should be marked private, the system first executes the database insert operation without the private flag, then subsequently applies the private status. This creates a race condition where concurrent database queries can retrieve the bug record before the replication process has completed, allowing unauthorized access to information that should remain confidential until the private flag is properly applied. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it exploits the inherent timing issues in distributed database systems and the asynchronous nature of MySQL replication.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive bug reports, potentially containing security vulnerabilities, system weaknesses, or confidential business information. Attackers can exploit this condition by rapidly querying the buglist.cgi endpoint during the brief window when the database record exists but the private flag has not yet propagated through the replication system. This race condition can be particularly problematic in multi-server environments where MySQL replication introduces delays between master and slave databases, making the window of opportunity for exploitation more pronounced. The vulnerability affects the fundamental integrity of Bugzilla's access control mechanisms and can compromise the confidentiality of sensitive security bug reports.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper database transaction management and ensuring atomic operations during bug submission processes. Organizations should upgrade to Bugzilla versions 2.18.2 or 2.20rc1 and later, which contain fixes addressing the race condition. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing stricter database transaction isolation levels and ensuring that replication processes are synchronized before allowing access to newly created records. The fix typically involves ensuring that all database modifications related to a bug report, including privacy settings, are committed as a single atomic transaction before the record becomes visible to other users. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-362, which describes race conditions, and could be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1211 for privilege escalation through information access. Organizations should also implement monitoring for unusual patterns in buglist.cgi access during peak submission times to detect potential exploitation attempts.