CVE-2017-15213 in Flyspray
Summary
by MITRE
Stored XSS vulnerability in Flyspray before 1.0-rc6 allows an authenticated user to inject JavaScript to gain administrator privileges, via the real_name or email_address field to themes/CleanFS/templates/common.editallusers.tpl.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/03/2023
This stored cross-site scripting vulnerability exists in Flyspray versions prior to 1.0-rc6 and represents a critical security flaw that enables authenticated users to execute malicious JavaScript code within the application's context. The vulnerability specifically affects the common.editallusers.tpl template file within the CleanFS theme, where user-supplied data is improperly sanitized before being rendered in the web interface. Attackers can exploit this weakness by manipulating the real_name or email_address fields during user account modifications, allowing them to inject persistent JavaScript payloads that will execute whenever other users view the affected user profiles.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Flyspray application's user management functionality. When an authenticated user submits malicious code through the vulnerable fields, the application stores this content without proper sanitization, creating a persistent XSS vector. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that the affected template file is used in administrative contexts, making it possible for attackers to gain elevated privileges through the execution of malicious scripts. This represents a classic stored XSS flaw that maps to CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation into a Web Browser, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security.
The operational implications of this vulnerability are severe as it allows attackers with minimal privileges to escalate their access within the system. By injecting JavaScript code into user profile fields, malicious actors can potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or execute arbitrary commands on behalf of other users. The attack requires only authentication to the Flyspray system, making it particularly dangerous in environments where user accounts are shared or where attackers can obtain legitimate credentials through social engineering or other means. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, as it enables the execution of malicious JavaScript within the browser context of other users.
The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly minor input validation flaws can lead to significant security breaches within issue tracking and project management systems. Organizations using affected versions of Flyspray face risks of data theft, privilege escalation, and potential system compromise through this vector. The vulnerability's persistence means that once exploited, the malicious code continues to execute until manually removed from the database, making it particularly dangerous for long-term deployments. Security practitioners should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems and implement additional monitoring for suspicious user profile modifications. The remediation involves proper input sanitization, output encoding, and ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly validated before being stored and rendered in web interfaces.