CVE-2008-2103 in Bugzilla
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Bugzilla 2.17.2 and later allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the id parameter to the "Format for Printing" view or "Long Format" bug list.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-2103 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Bugzilla version 2.17.2 and subsequent releases. This vulnerability resides in the web application's handling of user input within the printing format and long format bug list views, creating an avenue for remote attackers to execute malicious code within the context of affected users' browsers. The flaw specifically exploits the id parameter in two distinct user interface components, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content that gets executed when legitimate users access the affected views.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web page content without proper validation or sanitization. The flaw occurs because Bugzilla fails to adequately sanitize or escape user-supplied input before rendering it within the web interface, particularly in contexts where the id parameter is processed for display in printing formats or long format lists. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that exploit this vulnerability by manipulating the id parameter to include script tags or other HTML content that executes in the victim's browser when they view the affected pages.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-2103 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables attackers to potentially hijack user sessions, redirect victims to malicious websites, or execute arbitrary commands within the context of the vulnerable application. When legitimate users access the printing format or long format views with maliciously crafted id parameters, their browsers execute the injected scripts, which could lead to session theft through cookie manipulation, redirection to phishing sites, or even more sophisticated attacks leveraging the user's privileges within the Bugzilla environment. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on Bugzilla for bug tracking and issue management, as it undermines the trust model between users and the application.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of Bugzilla installations to versions that address the XSS flaw, as the original vulnerability was resolved in subsequent releases through proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding practices across all user-supplied data, particularly in contexts where data flows directly into web page content. Security measures should include the application of Content Security Policy headers, regular security assessments of web applications, and implementation of web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script injection attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices that align with OWASP Top Ten recommendations and ATT&CK framework techniques for defensive measures against web-based attacks, particularly those targeting input validation weaknesses in web applications.