CVE-2011-3667 in Bugzilla
Summary
by MITRE
The User.offer_account_by_email WebService method in Bugzilla 2.x and 3.x before 3.4.13, 3.5.x and 3.6.x before 3.6.7, 3.7.x and 4.0.x before 4.0.3, and 4.1.x through 4.1.3, when createemailregexp is not empty, does not properly handle user_can_create_account settings, which allows remote attackers to create user accounts by leveraging a token contained in an e-mail message.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/28/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2011-3667 represents a critical authorization bypass flaw in the Bugzilla bug tracking system that affects multiple version ranges from 2.x through 4.1.3. This issue specifically targets the User.offer_account_by_email WebService method which is designed to facilitate user account creation through email verification processes. The vulnerability arises from improper handling of the user_can_create_account configuration setting when the createemailregexp parameter contains a non-empty value, creating a significant security gap that allows unauthorized remote attackers to exploit the system's account creation mechanism.
The technical flaw stems from the WebService method's failure to properly validate the user_can_create_account setting during the account creation workflow. When createemailregexp is configured with a non-empty value, the system should enforce proper authorization checks before allowing account creation through email tokens. However, the implementation contains a logic error that bypasses these security controls, enabling attackers to create accounts without proper authentication or authorization. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checking where the system fails to verify that the requesting user has appropriate privileges to create new accounts, particularly when leveraging email-based verification tokens.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows remote attackers to perform unauthorized account creation within the Bugzilla system, potentially leading to privilege escalation, unauthorized access to sensitive bug reports, and system compromise. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted email messages containing account creation tokens, effectively bypassing the normal authentication process. This vulnerability affects organizations that rely on Bugzilla for security-sensitive bug tracking and management, as it could enable malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to development environments, sensitive project information, and potentially escalate their privileges within the system. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it operates over the network without requiring prior authentication, making it difficult to detect and prevent.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-863, which addresses "Incorrect Authorization" issues in software systems where access control mechanisms fail to properly validate user permissions. From an adversarial perspective, this flaw maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004, "Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts," as it enables attackers to establish unauthorized accounts within the system. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of Bugzilla, specifically versions 3.4.13, 3.6.7, 4.0.3, and 4.1.3 or later, which contain the necessary fixes for the authorization bypass. Additionally, administrators should review and properly configure the user_can_create_account setting, disable unnecessary email-based account creation features, and implement network-level restrictions to limit access to the WebService endpoints. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper authorization controls in web services and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of authentication and account management features in enterprise software systems.