CVE-2014-1985 in Redmine
Summary
by MITRE
Open redirect vulnerability in the redirect_back_or_default function in app/controllers/application_controller.rb in Redmine before 2.4.5 and 2.5.x before 2.5.1 allows remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via a URL in the back url (back_url parameter).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/10/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-1985 represents a critical open redirect flaw in the Redmine project management platform, specifically within the application_controller.rb file. This security weakness affects versions prior to 2.4.5 and 2.5.1, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate user navigation through improper validation of redirect URLs. The vulnerability resides in the redirect_back_or_default function which fails to adequately sanitize user-provided URL parameters, particularly the back_url parameter that is commonly used to maintain user context after authentication or form submissions. The flaw enables attackers to craft malicious URLs that appear legitimate but redirect users to phishing sites or malicious domains, exploiting the trust users place in the Redmine application interface.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization practices within the application's redirect handling mechanism. When users navigate to protected sections of Redmine and are redirected to login pages, the application typically stores the intended destination URL in a back_url parameter. The flawed redirect_back_or_default function processes this parameter without proper validation, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary URLs that bypass normal security checks. This weakness directly aligns with CWE-601, which classifies open redirect vulnerabilities as security issues where applications redirect users to external sites without sufficient validation. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical skill and can be achieved through simple URL manipulation, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently interact with external links or where social engineering attacks are common.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple phishing attacks, as it can enable more sophisticated attack vectors including credential theft, malware distribution, and social engineering campaigns. Attackers can craft deceptive URLs that appear to originate from trusted Redmine instances, potentially leading users to believe they are navigating within the legitimate application environment. This creates a significant risk for organizations using Redmine for project management, issue tracking, and collaboration, as compromised users may unknowingly provide credentials or sensitive information to attackers. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations with remote workers or those that rely heavily on web-based authentication flows, where the redirect mechanism is frequently utilized. According to ATT&CK framework category T1566, this vulnerability enables initial access through phishing techniques, while the open redirect itself maps to T1071.004 for application layer protocols and T1531 for credential access through social engineering.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to Redmine versions 2.4.5 or 2.5.1, which contain patches addressing this vulnerability through proper URL validation and sanitization. The recommended approach involves implementing strict URL validation that only permits redirects to internal application paths or explicitly trusted domains, while rejecting external URLs that could lead to malicious sites. Security teams should also consider implementing additional layers of protection such as content security policies that restrict redirect behavior, monitoring for suspicious redirect patterns in web server logs, and user education about recognizing potentially malicious URLs. Network-level controls including web application firewalls and URL filtering systems can provide additional protection against exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of input validation practices and demonstrates how seemingly minor security oversights in redirect handling can create significant attack surfaces, particularly in web applications that frequently handle user-provided URLs for navigation purposes.