CVE-2009-0482 in Bugzilla
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Bugzilla before 3.2 before 3.2.1, 3.3 before 3.3.2, and other versions before 3.2 allows remote attackers to perform bug updating activities as other users via a link or IMG tag to process_bug.cgi.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/31/2019
The CVE-2009-0482 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw in the Bugzilla bug tracking system that persisted across multiple version ranges including pre-3.2.1 and pre-3.3.2 releases. This vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF mechanisms within the process_bug.cgi script, which handles bug update operations. The flaw allows remote attackers to manipulate users into performing unintended actions by embedding malicious links or image tags that automatically submit requests to the Bugzilla server. When a victim clicks such a link or visits a page containing an IMG tag pointing to process_bug.cgi, the system processes the request without verifying the authenticity of the user's intent, effectively executing the requested bug update operations under the victim's authenticated session.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the fundamental weakness in Bugzilla's session management and request validation mechanisms. The process_bug.cgi script fails to implement proper CSRF token validation or referer header checks that would normally prevent unauthorized requests from being processed. Attackers can craft malicious URLs that contain specific parameters for bug updates and embed these within web pages or email messages. The vulnerability specifically targets the bug updating functionality, allowing attackers to modify bug status, add comments, change assignees, or alter other bug attributes without the victim's knowledge or consent. This represents a classic CSRF attack pattern where the malicious request is executed in the context of the victim's authenticated session, leveraging the trust relationship between the browser and the web application.
The operational impact of CVE-2009-0482 extends beyond simple data modification, as it can lead to complete compromise of bug tracking integrity within organizations using vulnerable Bugzilla installations. An attacker could potentially escalate privileges by modifying bug assignments to themselves, adding malicious comments that could influence development decisions, or changing critical bug status flags that affect project timelines and resource allocation. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Bugzilla serves as a central repository for security issues, development tasks, and project management. The attack vector through IMG tags makes it particularly insidious as users may unknowingly trigger the malicious requests simply by viewing web pages containing such embedded content, making user education and technical mitigations equally important.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately upgrade to Bugzilla versions 3.2.1, 3.3.2, or later releases that contain the necessary CSRF protection mechanisms. The fix typically involves implementing proper CSRF token generation and validation for all state-changing operations, including the process_bug.cgi endpoint. Security practitioners should also consider implementing additional network-level protections such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious patterns of requests to the process_bug.cgi endpoint. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications, and represents a common attack pattern categorized under ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Phishing with Spoofed Credentials. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their Bugzilla installations to ensure all affected versions are patched and that proper session management practices are enforced throughout the application.