CVE-2011-3668 in Bugzilla
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in post_bug.cgi in Bugzilla 2.x, 3.x, and 4.x before 4.2rc1 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users for requests that create bug reports.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/28/2021
The CVE-2011-3668 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw in Bugzilla versions 2.x through 4.x prior to 4.2rc1. This vulnerability resides in the post_bug.cgi script which handles bug report creation functionality within the Bugzilla bug tracking system. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate authenticated users into performing unintended actions without their knowledge or consent, specifically targeting the creation of bug reports. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF mechanisms in the web application's request handling process.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the fundamental weakness in Bugzilla's authentication and request validation mechanisms. When users access the Bugzilla web interface, they maintain authenticated sessions through cookies or session tokens. However, the post_bug.cgi script fails to validate the authenticity of incoming requests by verifying the presence of anti-CSRF tokens or other protective measures. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or send specially crafted requests that, when executed by an authenticated user, trigger unintended bug report creation. This occurs because the application does not distinguish between legitimate requests originating from the Bugzilla interface and malicious requests that exploit the user's authenticated session.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows attackers to perform unauthorized actions within the Bugzilla environment. An attacker could potentially create false bug reports that might contain malicious content, disrupt the bug tracking workflow, or even inject harmful data into the system. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on Bugzilla for software development tracking, as it could be exploited to manipulate bug reporting data, potentially compromising the integrity of the entire bug tracking process. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation does not require physical access to the system or knowledge of the user's credentials beyond their authenticated session.
Organizations utilizing affected Bugzilla versions should immediately implement mitigations to address this vulnerability. The most effective approach involves upgrading to Bugzilla version 4.2rc1 or later, which includes proper CSRF protection mechanisms. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing supplementary security measures such as validating referer headers, implementing proper anti-CSRF tokens in all state-changing requests, and ensuring that all users understand the risks associated with visiting untrusted websites while authenticated to Bugzilla. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications. The attack pattern described corresponds to techniques documented in the ATT&CK framework under the Application Layer Attack techniques, specifically targeting web application vulnerabilities that allow for session hijacking and unauthorized actions. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious activity patterns that might indicate CSRF attack attempts.