CVE-2007-1291 in Bug Tracking System
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Tyger Bug Tracking System (TygerBT) 1.1.3 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the PATH_INFO to (1) Login.php and (2) Register.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/13/2015
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-1291 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Tyger Bug Tracking System version 1.1.3, a web-based application designed for issue tracking and management. This vulnerability specifically affects the authentication pages of the system, namely Login.php and Register.php, making it particularly dangerous as it targets user access points where sensitive information is typically exchanged. The flaw resides in how the application processes the PATH_INFO server variable, which is commonly used in web applications to pass additional path information to scripts. When attackers exploit this weakness, they can inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers, potentially compromising user sessions and accessing sensitive data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the application's authentication modules. The PATH_INFO parameter, which is part of the HTTP request and contains additional path information beyond the script name, is directly incorporated into the web page output without proper sanitization or encoding. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code or HTML content that gets executed when other users browse to affected pages. The vulnerability manifests as reflected XSS since the malicious payload is reflected back to users through the application's response, making it particularly effective for session hijacking and credential theft attacks. This flaw aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-1291 extends beyond simple script injection, as it creates a vector for more sophisticated attacks within the application environment. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal user cookies, which would allow them to impersonate legitimate users and gain unauthorized access to the bug tracking system. The implications are particularly severe given that bug tracking systems often contain sensitive information about software vulnerabilities, security issues, and development processes that organizations wish to keep confidential. Additionally, the vulnerability could enable attackers to redirect users to malicious websites or inject malware into the victim's browsing session, potentially leading to complete system compromise. This vulnerability directly maps to attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059.007 category for scripting and T1531 for credential access through session hijacking.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of the TygerBT application to the latest available version that addresses the XSS flaws in the authentication modules. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to sanitize all user-supplied data before it is processed or displayed in web pages. The application should be configured to properly escape special characters in PATH_INFO parameters and other input vectors to prevent script injection. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth, though they should not replace proper code-level fixes. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous patterns in authentication requests that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and code reviews to identify similar issues in other application components, particularly those handling user input in authentication and session management functions. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies to further limit the execution of unauthorized scripts within their web applications.