CVE-2006-6574 in Mantis
Summary
by MITRE
Mantis before 1.1.0a2 does not implement per-item access control for Issue History (Bug History), which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information by reading the Change column, as demonstrated by the Change column of a custom field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/04/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-6574 affects Mantis bug tracking software versions prior to 1.1.0a2, specifically targeting the issue history or bug history functionality. This represents a critical access control flaw that undermines the security model of the application by failing to properly enforce per-item access controls. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284 Access Control, which encompasses weaknesses where the application fails to properly restrict access to resources based on user privileges. The flaw manifests in the Change column of issue history, where sensitive information is exposed to unauthorized users who should not have access to such data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of proper authorization checks when displaying issue history information. When users view the history of bug reports, the system should verify whether each user has appropriate permissions to view specific changes made to issues. However, the vulnerable version of Mantis fails to implement these checks, allowing any authenticated user to potentially access sensitive information contained within the Change column. This particularly affects custom field data where the Change column may contain confidential information about modifications made to issue attributes that should be restricted to specific user roles or project members.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables attackers to gather intelligence about the system's internal workings and project details. An attacker could potentially use this information to understand the development workflow, identify sensitive project data, or even plan more sophisticated attacks targeting specific users or project components. The vulnerability is classified under the ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves gaining access to privileged accounts, though in this case the access is more subtle and involves information gathering rather than direct privilege escalation. The exposure of custom field changes could reveal sensitive project information, development schedules, or internal discussions that should remain confidential.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the Mantis application to version 1.1.0a2 or later, which contains the necessary access control fixes. Organizations should also implement proper role-based access controls within their Mantis installations, ensuring that users have appropriate permissions for accessing issue history and change logs. Security administrators should conduct regular audits of access controls and review the permissions assigned to different user groups. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring of access patterns can help detect unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of implementing proper input validation and access control mechanisms, particularly for systems handling sensitive project information. Organizations should also consider implementing additional logging mechanisms to track access to issue history and change logs, providing better visibility into potential unauthorized access attempts. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of access control implementation in web applications, where even seemingly innocuous data exposure can provide attackers with valuable intelligence for further exploitation attempts.