CVE-2015-2142 in phpBugTracker
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in Issuetracker phpBugTracker before 1.7.0 allow remote authenticated users to (1) hijack the authentication of users for requests that cause an unspecified impact via the id parameter to project.php, (2) hijack the authentication of users for requests that cause an unspecified impact via the group_id parameter to group.php, (3) hijack the authentication of users for requests that delete statuses via the status_id parameter to status.php, (4) hijack the authentication of users for requests that delete severities via the severity_id parameter to severity.php, (5) hijack the authentication of users for requests that cause an unspecified impact via the priority_id parameter to priority.php, (6) hijack the authentication of users for requests that delete the operating system via the os_id parameter to os.php, (7) hijack the authentication of users for requests that delete databases via the database_id parameter to database.php, or (8) hijack the authentication of users for requests that delete sites via the site_id parameter to sites.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/27/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2015-2142 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw in phpBugTracker versions prior to 1.7.0, exposing multiple attack vectors that enable authenticated attackers to exploit the application's trust in user sessions. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-352 category of Cross-Site Request Forgery, where the application fails to validate the origin of requests, allowing malicious actors to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. The flaw specifically affects several administrative functions within the issue tracking system, creating a pathway for attackers to manipulate the application's core data structures and potentially compromise the entire system's integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's insufficient validation of CSRF tokens across multiple administrative endpoints. Attackers can leverage the id parameter in project.php, group_id in group.php, and various other parameters such as status_id in status.php, severity_id in severity.php, priority_id in priority.php, os_id in os.php, database_id in database.php, and site_id in sites.php to craft malicious requests that appear legitimate to the application. These parameters control critical system operations including project management, user groups, status definitions, severity levels, priority settings, operating system definitions, database configurations, and site management functions. The absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms means that authenticated users who visit malicious websites or click on compromised links will unknowingly execute these administrative actions with their privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it allows attackers to perform unauthorized administrative actions that could severely compromise the issue tracking system's functionality and data integrity. The unspecified impact mentioned in the vulnerability description suggests that the consequences could range from data manipulation and deletion to complete system compromise. Attackers could potentially delete critical status definitions, modify severity levels, alter priority settings, remove operating system configurations, delete database entries, or eliminate site configurations, all while appearing to be legitimate users. This could result in complete disruption of the bug tracking workflow, loss of critical project data, and potential escalation to full system compromise if the application's authentication mechanisms are further exploited. The vulnerability particularly affects the application's ability to maintain consistent and secure administrative operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-2142 require immediate implementation of proper CSRF token validation across all administrative endpoints within phpBugTracker. Organizations should upgrade to version 1.7.0 or later where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper CSRF protection mechanisms. The implementation should include generation and validation of unique tokens for each user session, ensuring that all state-changing requests include valid CSRF tokens that are verified against the user's session data. Security measures should also include implementing the principle of least privilege for administrative functions, monitoring for unauthorized administrative activities, and conducting regular security assessments of web applications. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and security headers to provide additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities. The remediation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which involves social engineering tactics that leverage application vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to systems, emphasizing the importance of proper input validation and session management in preventing such attacks.