CVE-2013-1733 in Bugzilla
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in process_bug.cgi in Bugzilla 4.4.x before 4.4.1 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users for requests that modify bugs via vectors involving a midair-collision token.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2021
The CVE-2013-1733 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw in Bugzilla's process_bug.cgi script affecting versions 4.4.x before 4.4.1. This vulnerability resides in the web application's authentication mechanism and specifically targets the token validation process used to prevent unauthorized modifications to bug reports. The flaw enables attackers to exploit a midair-collision token mechanism that should have prevented concurrent modifications but instead became a vector for unauthorized authentication hijacking.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from inadequate token validation in the bug modification workflow. When users attempt to modify bug reports through the process_bug.cgi interface, the system relies on a midair-collision token to ensure that only authorized users can make changes to existing bug entries. However, the vulnerability allows remote attackers to craft malicious requests that can bypass this token validation, effectively enabling them to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users without their knowledge or consent.
This vulnerability operates under the broader category of CWE-352 Cross-Site Request Forgery, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that affects the integrity of user sessions and authorization mechanisms. The attack vector specifically targets the authentication flow by manipulating the token validation process, allowing attackers to execute unauthorized bug modifications with the privileges of the targeted user. The impact extends beyond simple data modification to potentially include privilege escalation scenarios where attackers could manipulate bug reports in ways that affect system integrity and data confidentiality.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on Bugzilla for issue tracking and project management. Attackers could exploit this flaw to modify existing bug reports, potentially altering critical information such as bug severity, status, assignees, or comments. In enterprise environments, this could lead to misinformation in bug tracking systems, affecting development workflows and potentially causing security incidents if malicious modifications are made to critical bug reports. The vulnerability also poses risks to audit trails and compliance requirements, as unauthorized changes to bug records could compromise the integrity of the tracking system.
Security practitioners should implement multiple layers of mitigation for this vulnerability. The primary remediation involves upgrading to Bugzilla version 4.4.1 or later where the CSRF protection mechanisms have been properly implemented. Additionally, organizations should enforce proper token validation mechanisms and implement additional security controls such as implementing the same-origin policy enforcement, requiring additional authentication factors for sensitive operations, and monitoring for unusual patterns in bug modification activities. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper session management and authentication token handling, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.002 for privilege escalation through session management weaknesses.
Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious CSRF attack patterns, while ensuring that all user interactions with the bug tracking system are properly authenticated and authorized. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of validating all user inputs and implementing robust protection mechanisms for web applications that handle sensitive data modification operations. Proper security testing including CSRF vulnerability assessments should be integrated into the development lifecycle to prevent similar issues in other web applications. The remediation process should also include comprehensive testing to ensure that the fix does not introduce regressions in legitimate functionality while maintaining the security posture of the Bugzilla deployment.