CVE-2017-9510 in FishEye
Summary
by MITRE
The repository changelog resource in Atlassian FishEye before version 4.4.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML or JavaScript via a cross site scripting (XSS) vulnerability through the start date and end date parameters.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/25/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-9510 represents a critical cross site scripting flaw within Atlassian FishEye's repository changelog functionality. This security weakness exists in versions prior to 4.4.1 and specifically affects the handling of date parameters within the changelog resource. The vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before rendering it within web responses. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads in the start date and end date parameters, which are then executed in the context of other users' browsers when the changelog page is accessed.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly sanitize user input through the date parameters. When users provide date values through the changelog interface, the system does not adequately validate or escape these inputs before incorporating them into HTML responses. This creates an environment where malicious JavaScript code can be injected and subsequently executed by unsuspecting users who view the affected changelog page. The vulnerability is classified as a stored XSS when the malicious input is permanently stored and displayed, or as a reflected XSS when the payload is immediately reflected back to the user's browser. This flaw directly maps to CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security that allows attackers to inject malicious content into web pages viewed by other users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities within the context of the affected FishEye application. An attacker could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, deface the changelog content, or even escalate privileges within the FishEye environment if the application has sufficient access controls. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of FishEye's repository management system, potentially compromising the integrity of version control history and exposing sensitive project information. Given that FishEye is commonly used for code repository management and collaboration, this vulnerability could provide attackers with access to source code, commit messages, and other sensitive development artifacts that could be leveraged for further attacks against the organization's infrastructure.
Organizations utilizing Atlassian FishEye should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of the vendor-provided security patch for version 4.4.1 or later. The mitigation strategy should also include implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in dynamic content generation. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and security monitoring systems should be configured to detect and block suspicious requests containing common XSS payload patterns. Additionally, security awareness training for administrators and developers should emphasize the importance of proper input sanitization and output encoding practices, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1068 - Exploitation for Privilege Escalation and T1566 - Phishing. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other web applications within the organization's attack surface, ensuring comprehensive protection against similar cross site scripting threats that could compromise the integrity of development environments and source code repositories.