CVE-2018-13402 in JIRA
Summary
by MITRE
Many resources in Atlassian Jira before version 7.6.9, from version 7.7.0 before version 7.7.5, from version 7.8.0 before version 7.8.5, from version 7.9.0 before version 7.9.3, from version 7.10.0 before version 7.10.3, from version 7.11.0 before version 7.11.3, from version 7.12.0 before version 7.12.3, and before version 7.13.1 allow remote attackers to attack users, in some cases be able to obtain a user's Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) token, via a open redirect vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2018-13402 represents a critical security flaw in Atlassian Jira that affects multiple version ranges, specifically targeting the platform's cross-site request forgery protection mechanisms. This issue manifests through an open redirect vulnerability that allows remote attackers to manipulate the application's security controls and potentially obtain valid CSRF tokens from authenticated users. The vulnerability exists across numerous Jira releases including versions 7.6.9, 7.7.5, 7.8.5, 7.9.3, 7.10.3, 7.11.3, 7.12.3, and 7.13.1, indicating a widespread impact across the product's lifecycle. The flaw specifically enables attackers to exploit the application's redirect functionality to manipulate user sessions and bypass security controls that should prevent unauthorized actions. This vulnerability operates at the intersection of multiple security domains, combining elements of open redirect exploitation with CSRF token theft to create a particularly dangerous attack vector.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability leverages the application's handling of redirect parameters that are commonly used for user navigation after authentication or form submissions. When users are redirected to certain URLs within the Jira application, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize the redirect targets, allowing attackers to craft malicious URLs that can redirect users to attacker-controlled domains. This open redirect functionality can be exploited to harvest CSRF tokens that are typically embedded in legitimate user sessions, as the redirect mechanism does not properly enforce security boundaries. The flaw enables attackers to construct phishing attacks where users are unknowingly redirected through the vulnerable application to malicious sites that can capture their CSRF tokens. From a security perspective, this vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and proper input validation, as the application fails to ensure that redirect targets remain within the trusted domain boundaries. The vulnerability can be classified under CWE-601 as an open redirect vulnerability and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for phishing attacks that leverage web application vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple token theft, as it creates opportunities for more sophisticated attacks that can compromise entire user sessions and potentially enable privilege escalation. When attackers successfully obtain valid CSRF tokens, they can perform authenticated actions on behalf of users without requiring additional credentials, potentially allowing them to modify issues, create new tickets, or access sensitive project data. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on Jira for project management and issue tracking, where unauthorized access to specific projects or user accounts could result in significant business disruption. The open redirect mechanism provides attackers with a stealthy method to approach users, as the initial redirect appears to come from a legitimate Jira domain, making it difficult for users to distinguish between legitimate and malicious redirects. This vulnerability also represents a significant risk for organizations using Jira in conjunction with other Atlassian products or integrated systems, as successful exploitation could potentially lead to broader security breaches across interconnected applications. The impact is particularly severe in environments where Jira serves as a central authentication point or where users have elevated privileges within the system. Organizations using affected Jira versions face the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive business data, disruption of project workflows, and potential compliance violations due to unauthorized data access.
The recommended mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching of affected Jira installations to versions that contain the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement additional network-level controls such as URL filtering and monitoring for suspicious redirect patterns within their network traffic. Security teams should conduct thorough assessments of their Jira configurations to identify and disable unnecessary redirect functionality where possible. Regular security auditing of web applications should include checks for similar open redirect vulnerabilities in other systems, as this class of vulnerability is common across many web applications. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against open redirect exploitation attempts, while user education about suspicious redirects and phishing attempts can help reduce the effectiveness of social engineering components of these attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious redirect attempts, and establish monitoring procedures to detect unusual patterns of redirect activity that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and the need for comprehensive security testing of redirect mechanisms in web applications, as these features are often overlooked during initial security assessments.