CVE-2012-4189 in Bugzilla
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Bugzilla 4.1.x and 4.2.x before 4.2.4, and 4.3.x and 4.4.x before 4.4rc1, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a field value that is not properly handled during construction of a tabular report, as demonstrated by the Version field.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/19/2021
The vulnerability CVE-2012-4189 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Bugzilla versions 4.1.x through 4.2.x before 4.2.4 and 4.3.x through 4.4.x before 4.4rc1. This vulnerability resides in the web application's handling of user-supplied input during the generation of tabular reports, specifically manifesting when processing field values that are not properly sanitized or escaped. The flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML code into the application's output, potentially compromising user sessions and enabling further attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within Bugzilla's report generation functionality. When users create or view bug reports containing specially crafted input in fields such as the Version field, the application fails to properly escape or sanitize these values before incorporating them into HTML output. This creates an XSS vector where attacker-controlled data flows directly into the browser context without proper security measures. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it occurs during report construction, a common and frequently used feature of bug tracking systems, making it accessible to attackers who need only to submit malicious input through normal application interfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive information, manipulate application data, and potentially escalate privileges within the Bugzilla environment. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious scripts in the context of authenticated users, potentially accessing confidential bug reports, modifying bug statuses, or even gaining administrative control over the bug tracking system. The widespread use of Bugzilla in software development organizations means that successful exploitation could compromise entire development workflows and expose sensitive project information. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-4189 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding throughout the application's data handling pipeline. Organizations should immediately upgrade to Bugzilla versions 4.2.4 or 4.4rc1 and later, which contain the necessary patches to address this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing content security policies, enforcing strict input sanitization, and ensuring all user-supplied data is properly escaped before HTML rendering can provide defense-in-depth measures. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering through malicious web content, and T1059, which involves command and scripting interpreters for code execution. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive input validation testing and implement web application firewalls to detect and prevent exploitation attempts targeting similar XSS vulnerabilities in their Bugzilla deployments.