CVE-2005-3338 in Mantis
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Mantis before 0.19.3, when using reminders, causes Mantis to display the real email addresses of users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/12/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-3338 represents a security flaw in the Mantis bug tracking system that existed prior to version 0.19.3. This issue specifically manifests when the system's reminder functionality is active, creating a disclosure of sensitive user information that could be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability falls under the category of information disclosure, where the system inadvertently reveals user email addresses that should remain private. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in collaborative environments where bug tracking systems handle sensitive project information and user communications.
The technical nature of this flaw lies in the improper handling of user data within the reminder system component of Mantis. When reminders are configured and executed, the system fails to properly sanitize or mask user email addresses, resulting in their exposure to unauthorized parties who may have access to the reminder functionality. This represents a direct violation of data protection principles and could potentially enable social engineering attacks, spam campaigns, or targeted phishing attempts against users whose email addresses are inadvertently exposed. The vulnerability is classified as an information disclosure issue that could be categorized under CWE-200, which specifically addresses the exposure of sensitive information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data leakage, as it undermines the trust and security posture of the entire bug tracking environment. Organizations relying on Mantis for project management and issue tracking could face significant risks when user email addresses become publicly accessible through reminder notifications. Attackers could leverage this information to conduct targeted attacks, harvest email addresses for spam operations, or use the exposed addresses to gain unauthorized access to other systems where users may have accounts. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where Mantis is used in corporate settings or for managing sensitive projects, as the exposure of user contact information could lead to broader security compromise.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching to version 0.19.3 or later, where the issue has been resolved through proper input sanitization and output filtering mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional security controls such as access restrictions on reminder functionality, monitoring for unauthorized access attempts, and regular security audits of the bug tracking system. The remediation process should include disabling unnecessary reminder features until the patch is applied and conducting user education on the importance of protecting sensitive information within collaborative platforms. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering tactics that exploit information disclosure vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access or conduct targeted attacks against users.