CVE-2011-4822 in FishEye
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the user profile feature in Atlassian FishEye before 2.5.5 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) snippets in a user comment, which is not properly handled in a Confluence page, or (2) the user profile display name, which is not properly handled in a FishEye page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/13/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2011-4822 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness affecting Atlassian FishEye versions prior to 2.5.5, specifically within its user profile functionality. This flaw exists in the handling of user-generated content and profile information, creating exploitable entry points that could enable malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts in the context of affected users' browsers. The vulnerability impacts the integration between FishEye and Confluence, where user comments and profile display names are processed without adequate sanitization, potentially allowing attackers to inject malicious code that persists in the application's user interface.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through two distinct vectors that leverage improper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The first vector involves snippets within user comments that are subsequently rendered in Confluence pages without proper sanitization, while the second vector targets the user profile display name field that is improperly handled in FishEye pages. Both attack paths demonstrate a failure in implementing secure input processing and output encoding practices, which are fundamental requirements for preventing XSS vulnerabilities. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-79, which describes improper neutralization of input during web page generation, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter execution through web-based attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it could enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user credentials, or redirect victims to malicious websites. When exploited in the context of a FishEye instance integrated with Confluence, the attack could compromise user sessions and potentially escalate to broader system access depending on user privileges. The persistent nature of the vulnerability means that once injected, malicious scripts would execute every time affected pages are loaded, creating a continuous threat vector. Attackers could craft malicious comments or profile names that would execute in the browser context of any user who views the affected content, making this particularly dangerous in collaborative environments where multiple users interact with shared documentation and project information.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of FishEye installations to version 2.5.5 or later, which includes proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation for all user-generated content, particularly in comment and profile fields, and ensure that all dynamic content is properly escaped before rendering in web pages. Security teams should also consider implementing content security policies to limit script execution capabilities and monitor for suspicious user activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched environments to ensure that legitimate user functionality remains intact while addressing the XSS vulnerabilities through proper encoding and sanitization of user inputs. Additionally, regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues in other applications within the organization's ecosystem, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining secure coding practices throughout software development lifecycles.