CVE-2018-20236 in SourceTree
Summary
by MITRE
There was an command injection vulnerability in Sourcetree for Windows from version 0.5a before version 3.0.10 via URI handling. A remote attacker could send a malicious URI to a victim using Sourcetree for Windows to exploit this issue to gain code execution on the system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/29/2023
The command injection vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-20236 represents a critical security flaw in Atlassian Sourcetree for Windows client software. This vulnerability specifically affects versions ranging from 0.5a through 3.0.9, creating a persistent risk for users who continue to operate these outdated versions. The flaw manifests through improper URI handling mechanisms within the application's processing pipeline, where user-supplied URI data fails to undergo adequate sanitization or validation before being processed by the underlying system commands.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a remote attacker crafts a malicious URI and delivers it to a victim who is running an affected version of Sourcetree for Windows. The application's URI parsing functionality does not properly escape or validate special characters that could be interpreted as command delimiters or shell metacharacters. When the application processes such malicious URIs, it executes the embedded commands within the context of the user's privileges, potentially allowing full system compromise. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-77 category of Command Injection, which is classified as a high-severity weakness in the Common Weakness Enumeration framework.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution capabilities to encompass complete system compromise and potential data exfiltration. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the logged-in user, potentially escalating to SYSTEM level access depending on the execution context. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires no local interaction from the victim beyond opening a malicious URI, making it susceptible to phishing campaigns, social engineering attacks, or automated exploitation through web-based delivery mechanisms. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically targeting Windows Command Prompt execution.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate remediation through version updates to Sourcetree 3.0.10 or later, which incorporates proper input validation and URI sanitization measures. Organizations should implement network-based controls including firewall rules that block unauthorized URI handling and web-based filtering solutions that can detect and prevent malicious URI patterns. Additionally, user education regarding suspicious URI handling and the importance of keeping software updated remains crucial. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and the principle of least privilege in software security design, where applications should never trust external input and should always sanitize or escape data before processing. Security teams should also monitor for exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and endpoint detection systems that can identify suspicious command execution patterns. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining current software versions and implementing robust input validation controls in client-side applications that handle external data processing.