CVE-2018-5228 in FishEye
Summary
by MITRE
The /browse/~raw resource in Atlassian Fisheye and Crucible before version 4.5.3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML or JavaScript via a cross site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the handling of response headers.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/31/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-5228 represents a critical cross site scripting flaw within Atlassian Fisheye and Crucible platforms prior to version 4.5.3. This security weakness specifically manifests in the /browse/~raw resource handling mechanism where the application fails to properly sanitize or validate response headers containing user-supplied data. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject malicious HTML or JavaScript code through crafted requests that manipulate the header processing logic, creating an avenue for unauthorized code execution within the victim's browser context.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the application processes response headers without adequate input validation or output encoding mechanisms. Attackers can construct malicious payloads that, when processed by the vulnerable system, get rendered directly in the browser without proper sanitization. This allows for the execution of arbitrary scripts within the context of the victim's session, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further compromise of the affected system. The vulnerability specifically targets the header handling component of the application's web interface, making it particularly dangerous as it operates at a fundamental level of HTTP communication processing.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-5228 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including credential theft, session manipulation, and data exfiltration. The vulnerability affects organizations using affected versions of Atlassian Fisheye and Crucible, which are widely deployed for code repository browsing and code review functionalities. Given that these tools are often integrated into development workflows and access control systems, successful exploitation could provide attackers with access to source code repositories, development environments, and potentially sensitive organizational data. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access or local network privileges to exploit this vulnerability, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to Atlassian Fisheye and Crucible version 4.5.3 or later to remediate this vulnerability. The fix implemented by Atlassian addresses the improper handling of response headers through enhanced input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Security teams should also implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and consider deploying web application firewalls to provide additional protection layers. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes cross site scripting flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for scripting languages, specifically targeting the execution of malicious scripts in web browser contexts. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their Atlassian deployments to ensure all instances are properly updated and that no other similar vulnerabilities exist within their software ecosystem.