CVE-2012-5522 in MantisBT
Summary
by MITRE
MantisBT before 1.2.12 does not use an expected default value during decisions about whether a user may modify the status of a bug, which allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended access restrictions and make status changes by leveraging a blank value for a per-status setting.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5522 affects MantisBT versions prior to 1.2.12, representing a critical access control flaw within the bug tracking system's permission management framework. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly handle default values when evaluating user permissions for modifying bug statuses, creating a significant security gap that could be exploited by authenticated attackers to bypass intended access restrictions. The flaw specifically manifests when the system processes per-status settings that may contain blank or null values during permission decision-making processes.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the application's authorization logic where it fails to account for expected default values when determining whether a user should be permitted to change a bug's status. When a user attempts to modify a bug status, the system evaluates various permission settings associated with that status, but due to improper handling of blank values in configuration parameters, the access control decision process becomes compromised. This creates a scenario where legitimate access restrictions are bypassed, allowing unauthorized status modifications that should have been prevented by the system's permission model.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables authenticated attackers to manipulate bug tracking workflows in ways that could compromise the integrity of the entire issue management system. Attackers can leverage this flaw to change bug statuses without proper authorization, potentially hiding critical issues, marking bugs as resolved prematurely, or altering the workflow to disrupt normal operations. This vulnerability undermines the fundamental security assumptions of the application's access control mechanisms and could be particularly damaging in environments where bug tracking systems are used for security incident management or compliance reporting.
Security mitigations for CVE-2012-5522 primarily involve upgrading to MantisBT version 1.2.12 or later, which contains the necessary code fixes to properly handle default values during permission decision processes. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring of status change activities within their bug tracking systems to detect anomalous modifications that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and maps to attack patterns within the MITRE ATT&CK framework that involve privilege escalation and unauthorized access to system resources. System administrators should conduct thorough security reviews of their access control configurations and ensure that all permission settings are properly validated to prevent similar issues in other applications with comparable authorization logic structures.