CVE-2017-15570 in Redmine
Summary
by MITRE
In Redmine before 3.2.8, 3.3.x before 3.3.5, and 3.4.x before 3.4.3, XSS exists in app/views/timelog/_list.html.erb via crafted column data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/04/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-15570 represents a cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the Redmine project management platform across multiple version ranges. This security issue affects Redmine installations running versions prior to 3.2.8, 3.3.5, and 3.4.3 respectively, making it a widespread concern for organizations relying on these platforms for project tracking and collaboration. The vulnerability specifically resides within the timelog functionality of Redmine, where user-supplied data intended for display in time tracking reports is not properly sanitized before rendering in the web interface.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the app/views/timelog/_list.html.erb template file. When administrators or users input crafted data into time tracking columns, this data bypasses proper sanitization mechanisms and gets directly embedded into the HTML output without appropriate escaping or encoding. This creates an environment where malicious scripts can be executed within the context of authenticated users' browsers, potentially allowing attackers to perform actions on behalf of victims or extract sensitive information from the application. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which classifies cross-site scripting as a critical weakness in web applications, specifically addressing the improper handling of untrusted data in web pages.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or display issues, as it provides attackers with potential access to sensitive project information, user credentials, and system functionalities. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to inject malicious scripts that could steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even execute arbitrary commands within the application context. Given that Redmine is commonly used for managing sensitive project data, source code repositories, and collaborative work environments, the potential damage from successful exploitation could be substantial. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on time tracking features and may have multiple users with varying privilege levels accessing the platform.
Organizations should immediately prioritize patching their Redmine installations to versions 3.2.8, 3.3.5, or 3.4.3 depending on their current version, as these releases contain the necessary fixes for the XSS vulnerability. Additionally, implementing temporary mitigations such as input validation at the network level, monitoring for suspicious data entries in time tracking fields, and restricting user privileges for time logging activities can help reduce the attack surface. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive audits of their Redmine deployments to identify any other potential XSS vulnerabilities in custom plugins or modified templates. The remediation process should include reviewing and testing the patched versions in staging environments before deploying to production systems to ensure that the fixes do not introduce regressions in functionality. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing proper input validation mechanisms as recommended by ATT&CK framework techniques related to command and control through web application exploitation.