CVE-2009-4079 in Redmine
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Redmine 0.8.5 and earlier allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of users for requests that delete a ticket via unspecified vectors.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/23/2019
The CVE-2009-4079 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in Redmine version 0.8.5 and earlier systems. This vulnerability resides within the web application's authentication and session management mechanisms, specifically affecting how the system handles requests for ticket deletion operations. The flaw enables malicious actors to construct specially crafted requests that can be executed without the victim's knowledge or consent, leveraging the victim's authenticated session to perform unauthorized actions.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation within the ticket deletion functionality. When users navigate to legitimate Redmine pages, their browser maintains an active authenticated session with the application server. However, the vulnerable code fails to verify that incoming requests for ticket deletion originate from legitimate sources within the same application context. This omission creates an exploitable condition where attackers can craft malicious web pages or send targeted emails containing embedded requests that, when executed by authenticated users, result in unauthorized ticket deletions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data loss, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity of the issue tracking system. Attackers can leverage this flaw to delete critical project tickets, potentially disrupting development workflows, removing important bug reports, or deleting documentation that could be essential for project continuity. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates silently in the background, with victims remaining unaware that their actions have been hijacked by malicious actors. This makes it difficult to detect and investigate unauthorized deletions, potentially leading to extended periods of undetected compromise.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. The flaw demonstrates a failure in implementing proper request validation mechanisms that should be part of the core security architecture. Organizations implementing Redmine or similar collaborative platforms must understand that CSRF attacks exploit the trust relationship between web applications and users, making it essential to implement robust protection measures such as anti-CSRF tokens, origin validation, and proper request verification protocols.
The remediation approach for CVE-2009-4079 requires immediate application of security patches provided by Redmine developers, as well as the implementation of additional protective measures. Organizations should ensure that all users upgrade to versions of Redmine that have addressed this vulnerability, typically through version 0.8.6 and subsequent releases. Security teams should also implement web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious request patterns, particularly those involving state-changing operations like ticket deletion. Additionally, regular security assessments should verify that proper CSRF protection mechanisms are in place and functioning correctly, as these vulnerabilities often persist in legacy systems where security updates are not regularly applied.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the importance of comprehensive security testing throughout the software development lifecycle, particularly for web applications handling sensitive data and user authentication. Modern security frameworks such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and MITRE ATT&CK methodology emphasize the critical nature of CSRF protection as a fundamental security control. Organizations should establish security awareness programs to educate users about the risks of clicking suspicious links or visiting untrusted websites, as the success of CSRF attacks often depends on social engineering elements that exploit user behavior rather than purely technical vulnerabilities.