CVE-2007-4543 in Bugzilla
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in enter_bug.cgi in Bugzilla 2.17.1 through 2.20.4, 2.22.x before 2.22.3, and 3.x before 3.0.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the buildid field in the "guided form."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/27/2019
This cross-site scripting vulnerability exists in Bugzilla's enter_bug.cgi script affecting versions between 2.17.1 and 2.20.4, 2.22.x versions prior to 2.22.3, and 3.x versions before 3.0.1. The flaw specifically targets the buildid field within the guided form functionality, creating an attack vector where remote adversaries can inject malicious web scripts or HTML content. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization of user-supplied data in the buildid parameter, which is processed without proper encoding or filtering mechanisms. This allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that execute in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected bug report.
The technical implementation of this XSS flaw occurs because the application fails to properly escape special characters in the buildid field before rendering it in the web page output. When a user submits a bug report with malicious content in the buildid field, the application stores this data without adequate sanitization and subsequently displays it without proper HTML encoding. This creates a persistent XSS condition where the injected script executes in the browser context of any user who views the affected bug report. The vulnerability is classified as a classic reflected XSS issue under CWE-79, which represents the most common type of cross-site scripting vulnerability in web applications. The flaw directly violates the principle of secure input validation and output encoding, which are fundamental requirements for preventing XSS attacks according to OWASP Top Ten security practices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. An attacker could craft payloads that steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or inject malicious content that modifies the application's behavior. In a Bugzilla environment, where users often have varying levels of access and sensitive project information is stored, this vulnerability could allow unauthorized users to escalate privileges or access confidential data. The attack requires no special privileges and can be executed through a simple web request, making it particularly dangerous in environments where Bugzilla serves as a central issue tracking system for development teams.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The primary fix requires sanitizing all user-supplied input, particularly in the buildid field, by applying HTML entity encoding before rendering any user-provided content. Organizations should implement a comprehensive input validation framework that rejects or sanitizes potentially dangerous characters including angle brackets, quotes, and script tags. Additionally, deploying Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security updates and patch management, as this issue was resolved in subsequent versions of Bugzilla. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring systems to detect and prevent exploitation attempts, aligning with ATT&CK framework techniques for command and control operations and credential access. The fix should include comprehensive testing of all input fields and form processing functions to ensure that similar vulnerabilities are not present in other areas of the application.