CVE-2018-5123 in Bugzilla
Summary
by MITRE
A third party website can access information available to a user with access to a restricted bug entry using the image generation in report.cgi in all Bugzilla versions prior to 4.4.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/10/2023
The vulnerability described in CVE-2018-5123 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within the Bugzilla bug tracking system that affects all versions prior to 4.4. This vulnerability arises from improper access controls in the image generation functionality of the report.cgi component, which allows malicious actors to exploit a path traversal or privilege escalation mechanism. The flaw specifically enables a third party website to gain unauthorized access to restricted bug entries that should only be visible to authorized users within the Bugzilla system, fundamentally undermining the access control mechanisms that protect sensitive information.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and access control checks within the image generation feature of Bugzilla's reporting module. When users generate images from bug reports, the system fails to properly verify whether the requesting user has appropriate authorization levels to access the specific bug entries being processed. This weakness creates an attack vector where external websites can manipulate the image generation process to access data that should remain restricted, effectively bypassing the authentication and authorization mechanisms that normally protect sensitive bug information. The vulnerability operates at the application level and specifically targets the report.cgi script's handling of image generation requests.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-5123 extends beyond simple data exposure, as it represents a fundamental breakdown in the security model of Bugzilla systems. Organizations relying on Bugzilla for managing sensitive security vulnerabilities, proprietary information, or confidential bug reports face significant risks when this vulnerability is present. Attackers could potentially access classified bug details, exploit information, or sensitive project data that should remain within the confines of authorized personnel. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity of bug tracking systems and can compromise the confidentiality of security-sensitive information, particularly in environments where Bugzilla serves as a central repository for vulnerability management.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to Bugzilla version 4.4 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as this represents the official patch release addressing the access control flaw. Additional mitigations include implementing network-level restrictions to limit access to the report.cgi endpoint, configuring proper web server access controls, and conducting thorough security reviews of all third-party integrations. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues, specifically targeting improper access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to access restricted resources. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078 Valid Accounts and T1566 Phishing, as it enables attackers to gain unauthorized access to systems through compromised or improperly controlled access points. Security teams should also implement monitoring for unusual access patterns in Bugzilla's image generation functionality and establish incident response procedures for potential information disclosure events.