CVE-2015-8537 in Redmine
Summary
by MITRE
app/views/journals/index.builder in Redmine before 2.6.9, 3.0.x before 3.0.7, and 3.1.x before 3.1.3 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information by viewing an Atom feed.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/13/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-8537 represents a sensitive data exposure issue within the Redmine project management platform, specifically affecting versions prior to the patched releases. This flaw exists in the application's Atom feed generation functionality, which is part of the journal indexing system that tracks project changes and updates. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to access potentially sensitive information through the structured feed output that Redmine generates for project activity tracking. The affected component app/views/journals/index.builder is responsible for creating the XML-based Atom feed that displays project journal entries and updates.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control within the feed generation process. When users request an Atom feed, the system does not properly verify whether the requesting entity has appropriate authorization to view all the information contained in the journal entries. This weakness enables unauthorized parties to retrieve data that should be restricted to specific user roles or project members. The flaw operates at the application layer, specifically within the view rendering component where the feed output is constructed, making it a server-side vulnerability that can be exploited without requiring authentication or special privileges beyond basic network access. According to CWE classification, this represents a weakness in the input validation and access control mechanisms that could lead to information disclosure.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-8537 extends beyond simple data exposure, as the affected Atom feeds may contain detailed project information including issue descriptions, attachments, user comments, and other sensitive metadata that could be valuable to attackers. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on Redmine for project tracking, as the exposed information could include confidential project details, development timelines, security vulnerabilities being addressed, or other sensitive operational data. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from anywhere on the internet, potentially leading to information gathering for more sophisticated attacks or competitive intelligence operations. Organizations using Redmine without proper patching could face regulatory compliance issues if sensitive data is exposed, particularly in environments governed by standards such as iso 27001 or soc 2.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate application of the vendor-provided patches that address the access control gap in the Atom feed generation. System administrators should upgrade to Redmine versions 2.6.9, 3.0.7, or 3.1.3, depending on their current version, to resolve the issue. Additional protective measures include implementing network-level access controls to restrict access to feed endpoints, monitoring feed access patterns for unusual activity, and ensuring proper authentication and authorization mechanisms are in place for all project resources. Security teams should conduct vulnerability assessments to identify other potential information disclosure issues within their Redmine installations and review feed generation configurations to prevent similar flaws. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under information gathering techniques, where adversaries exploit weak access controls to extract sensitive information from systems, making it a critical target for defensive measures and incident response planning.