CVE-2011-1685 in Best Practical
Summary
by MITRE
Best Practical Solutions RT 3.8.0 through 3.8.9 and 4.0.0rc through 4.0.0rc7, when the CustomFieldValuesSources (aka external custom field) option is enabled, allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors, as demonstrated by a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/05/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1685 affects Best Practical Solutions RT versions 3.8.0 through 3.8.9 and 4.0.0rc through 4.0.0rc7, representing a critical security flaw that enables remote authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. This vulnerability specifically manifests when the CustomFieldValuesSources feature, also known as external custom field functionality, is enabled within the RT platform. The flaw operates through unspecified attack vectors that ultimately allow malicious actors to leverage cross-site request forgery techniques for code execution, demonstrating the dangerous intersection of configuration vulnerabilities and authentication bypass mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the RT application's handling of custom field values when external sources are enabled. When authenticated users interact with the system while this feature is active, attackers can craft malicious requests that exploit the CSRF mechanism to inject and execute arbitrary code on the target server. This represents a classic privilege escalation scenario where legitimate authenticated users become unwitting conduits for malicious code execution. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities, and demonstrates how improper session management and request validation can create dangerous attack surfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple code execution, as it provides attackers with persistent access to the underlying system infrastructure. Successful exploitation allows adversaries to gain full control over the RT application server, potentially enabling them to modify ticketing data, access sensitive information, escalate privileges, or use the compromised system as a launchpad for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability's presence in multiple release versions indicates a widespread exposure across the RT platform, affecting organizations that rely on this ticketing system for critical business operations. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to compromise entire ticketing infrastructures, potentially disrupting business processes and exposing confidential data.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately disable the CustomFieldValuesSources feature until a proper security patch is applied, as this represents the most effective immediate mitigation strategy. System administrators should also implement network-level restrictions to limit access to RT systems, particularly for users who do not require full administrative privileges. The implementation of proper CSRF tokens and request validation mechanisms should be enforced across all user interactions with the application. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive security audits of their RT installations to identify any other potential misconfigurations that could be exploited. This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper input validation and the dangers of enabling unnecessary features that can create attack vectors for authenticated users, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1078 for valid accounts, as the exploitation requires legitimate user credentials to be effective.