CVE-2011-2979 in Bugzilla
Summary
by MITRE
Bugzilla 4.1.x before 4.1.3 generates different responses for certain assignee queries depending on whether the group name is valid, which allows remote attackers to determine the existence of private group names via a custom search. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of a CVE-2010-2756 regression.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/17/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2979 affects Bugzilla version 4.1.x before 4.1.3 and represents a significant information disclosure issue that stems from a regression introduced by CVE-2010-2756. This flaw manifests in the application's handling of assignee queries where the system generates different response behaviors based on the validity of group names. The security implications are particularly concerning as they enable remote attackers to perform reconnaissance activities by exploiting the inconsistent response patterns that occur during custom search operations.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves the application's inconsistent handling of group name validation within assignee query processing. When a user performs a custom search targeting assignee information, Bugzilla's response varies depending on whether the group name being queried exists within the system's valid group listings. This differential response behavior creates a side-channel attack vector that attackers can exploit to determine the existence of private group names without proper authorization. The vulnerability specifically impacts the search functionality and demonstrates a clear lack of consistent error handling or response normalization in the application's query processing logic.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses a serious risk to organizations using Bugzilla for issue tracking and project management, particularly those with sensitive or private group structures. Attackers can leverage this information disclosure to map out the internal group hierarchy and identify which groups contain sensitive information or privileged users. The impact extends beyond simple reconnaissance as it provides attackers with knowledge about the system's organizational structure, potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks targeting specific groups or user roles. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-200, which addresses the disclosure of sensitive information, and represents a classic example of how seemingly minor implementation flaws can create significant security risks.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve updating to Bugzilla version 4.1.3 or later, which contains the necessary fixes to address the regression introduced by CVE-2010-2756. Organizations should also implement proper input validation and consistent response handling for all search operations to prevent similar side-channel attacks. Additionally, security teams should review their existing search and query functionality to ensure that all operations return consistent responses regardless of the input parameters, thereby eliminating potential information leakage vectors. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002, which covers the extraction of data through web application vulnerabilities, and demonstrates the importance of maintaining consistent security controls across all application functionalities.