CVE-2012-0453 in Bugzilla
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in xmlrpc.cgi in Bugzilla 4.0.2 through 4.0.4 and 4.1.1 through 4.2rc2, when mod_perl is used, allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users for requests that modify the product s installation via the XML-RPC API.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2024
The CVE-2012-0453 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw in Bugzilla's XML-RPC interface that specifically affects versions 4.0.2 through 4.0.4 and 4.1.1 through 4.2rc2 when deployed with mod_perl. This vulnerability operates at the application layer and exploits the trust relationship between the web application and its users, allowing malicious actors to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. The flaw is particularly dangerous because it targets the XML-RPC API endpoint which serves as a critical interface for programmatic access to Bugzilla's core functionalities, including product installation modifications that can fundamentally alter the system's operational environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of the origin of XML-RPC requests within the mod_perl environment. When Bugzilla processes requests through xmlrpc.cgi, it fails to properly verify that incoming requests originate from legitimate sources, instead relying on the presence of authentication tokens that may be present in the request context. This oversight creates a window where attackers can craft malicious requests that appear to come from authenticated users, leveraging the mod_perl server environment's handling of persistent sessions and authentication state. The vulnerability is specifically amplified in mod_perl deployments because this server module maintains persistent processes that can retain authentication context across multiple requests, making the CSRF protection mechanisms ineffective.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data manipulation, as it provides attackers with the ability to completely compromise Bugzilla's product installation configuration. An attacker could leverage this flaw to modify product definitions, alter user permissions, disable security features, or even introduce malicious code into the system through the XML-RPC interface. This represents a severe privilege escalation attack vector that could lead to complete system compromise, particularly when combined with other vulnerabilities or when the Bugzilla instance serves as a central repository for critical development information. The vulnerability affects the core integrity of the application's security model and undermines the fundamental trust assumptions that users place in authenticated sessions.
Security professionals should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability, including immediate patching to versions that address the CSRF protection gap in the XML-RPC implementation. Network-level mitigations such as implementing proper request origin validation and CSRF token enforcement should be deployed alongside application-level protections. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.002 for the use of web application vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access. Organizations should also consider implementing additional authentication controls and monitoring for unusual API activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The mod_perl deployment environment requires special attention since the persistent nature of these processes can create extended attack windows that traditional CSRF protections might not adequately address.