CVE-2015-2144 in phpBugTracker
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scriping (XSS) vulnerabilities in Issuetracker phpBugTracker before 1.7.0 allow remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) project name parameter to project.php; the (2) use_js parameter to user.php; the (3) use_js parameter to group.php; the (4) Description parameter to status.php; the (5) Description parameter to severity.php; the (6) Regex parameter to os.php; or the (7) Name parameter to database.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/22/2019
The CVE-2015-2144 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting phpBugTracker versions prior to 1.7.0, demonstrating the persistent nature of input validation weaknesses in web applications. This vulnerability classifies under CWE-79 as an improper neutralization of input during web page generation, where user-supplied data flows directly into HTML output without adequate sanitization or encoding mechanisms. The flaw exists across multiple parameters within different PHP files, indicating a systemic issue in the application's data handling architecture that fails to consistently enforce security controls throughout the codebase.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through authenticated user sessions, which means attackers must first establish valid credentials to leverage the XSS vectors. The vulnerability manifests when user input is directly embedded into web responses without proper HTML escaping or context-appropriate encoding. Specifically, the attack surfaces include the project name parameter in project.php, the use_js parameters in user.php and group.php, and various description fields in status.php, severity.php, and database.php, along with the regex parameter in os.php. These parameters represent different data entry points where unfiltered user input becomes part of the dynamic HTML content generated by the application.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-2144 extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to potentially hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, or redirect victims to malicious websites. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple application modules suggests that the underlying security controls are not properly centralized or enforced, creating a broad attack surface that could be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks. Attackers could craft malicious payloads that exploit these XSS vectors to perform actions such as stealing session cookies, defacing web pages, or conducting phishing attacks against other users within the same application environment. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through credential dumping and T1584.002 for establishing persistence through web shells.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-2144 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding across all user-supplied data entry points. The most effective approach involves applying context-specific encoding mechanisms such as HTML entity encoding for display contexts, JavaScript encoding for script contexts, and URL encoding for URL contexts. Organizations should also implement proper parameter validation, employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit script execution, and conduct regular security code reviews to identify similar input handling vulnerabilities. Additionally, upgrading to phpBugTracker version 1.7.0 or later resolves the vulnerability by incorporating proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data flow architecture. The remediation process should also include implementing automated security testing tools that can detect similar XSS vulnerabilities in other application components and establishing secure coding practices that prevent the recurrence of such issues in future development cycles.