CVE-2008-7277 in OTRS
Summary
by MITRE
Open Ticket Request System (OTRS) before 2.3.0-beta4 checks for the rw permission, instead of the configured merge permission, during authorization of merge operations, which might allow remote authenticated users to bypass intended access restrictions by merging two tickets.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-7277 affects the Open Ticket Request System OTRS version 2.3.0-beta3 and earlier, representing a critical authorization flaw that undermines the system's access control mechanisms. This issue specifically impacts the ticket merging functionality within the OTRS platform, where the system fails to properly validate user permissions during merge operations. The flaw stems from the application's improper implementation of access control checks, where it verifies for read-write permissions rather than the explicitly configured merge permissions, creating a significant security gap in the authorization framework.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs at the permission validation layer within the OTRS codebase, where the merge operation authorization logic incorrectly references the wrong permission level. According to CWE-284, this represents an improper access control vulnerability where the system fails to properly enforce authorization checks. The flaw exists in the application's business logic where it assumes that users with read-write privileges should automatically have merge capabilities, ignoring the administrator-defined permission settings. This misconfiguration allows authenticated users to perform operations that should be restricted to users with specific merge permissions, effectively bypassing the intended access control model.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables authenticated attackers to escalate their privileges within the ticketing system by merging tickets that they should not have access to. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it allows users to potentially manipulate ticket data, hide malicious activities, or gain insights into other users' work by merging tickets containing sensitive information. Attackers could exploit this by creating a merge operation between tickets they own and tickets belonging to other users, potentially consolidating information or altering ticket states in ways that violate the system's security policies. This vulnerability directly relates to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 which covers valid accounts and T1566.001 which involves credential access through social engineering, as it exploits legitimate authenticated access to bypass permission controls.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the OTRS system to version 2.3.0-beta4 or later, where the authorization logic has been corrected to properly validate merge permissions against the configured access controls. Organizations should also implement regular security audits of their permission configurations to ensure that access control settings align with organizational security policies. Additionally, monitoring for unusual merge operations and implementing automated alerts for unauthorized ticket merging activities can help detect exploitation attempts. The fix addresses the core issue by ensuring that the system properly validates against the configured merge permissions rather than defaulting to read-write checks, thereby restoring proper access control boundaries. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper permission validation in multi-user systems and highlights the need for thorough testing of authorization logic during security reviews.