CVE-2018-5232 in JIRA
Summary
by MITRE
The EditIssue.jspa resource in Atlassian Jira before version 7.6.7 and from version 7.7.0 before version 7.10.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML or JavaScript via a cross site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the issuetype parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/08/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-5232 represents a critical cross site scripting flaw in Atlassian Jira's EditIssue.jspa resource, affecting versions prior to 7.6.7 and versions 7.7.0 through 7.10.0. This vulnerability resides in the handling of the issuetype parameter within the web interface, creating an avenue for remote attackers to execute malicious code within the context of authenticated user sessions. The flaw enables attackers to inject arbitrary HTML or JavaScript payloads that can persist and be executed when other users view the affected issue pages, making it particularly dangerous in collaborative environments where multiple users interact with shared issue tracking systems.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through improper input validation and output encoding within the Jira web application's issue editing functionality. When the issuetype parameter is processed without adequate sanitization, malicious payloads can be stored and subsequently rendered in the user interface, allowing attackers to perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or executing arbitrary JavaScript code. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically representing a stored XSS variant where the malicious input is permanently stored on the server and executed against users who view the affected content. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices and inadequate output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly escape special characters in user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-5232 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it can enable attackers to gain persistent access to Jira environments and potentially escalate privileges within the organization's issue tracking infrastructure. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to create malicious issue entries that automatically execute code when other users view the affected issues, potentially compromising entire Jira installations and the sensitive project data they contain. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on Jira for project management, bug tracking, and collaboration, making it particularly concerning for enterprises where Jira serves as a central hub for development workflows and security-sensitive information management. This vulnerability can be exploited to establish persistent backdoors within development environments, potentially compromising source code repositories and development processes that depend on Jira for issue tracking.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the patched versions of Atlassian Jira, specifically upgrading to version 7.6.7 or 7.10.1 and later, while also implementing additional security measures such as input validation, output encoding, and web application firewalls. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for JavaScript execution and T1566 for social engineering through malicious links, making it a significant threat in targeted attack scenarios. Security teams should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their Jira installations and implement proper monitoring for suspicious activity patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should review their user access controls and implement principle of least privilege configurations to limit the potential damage from successful exploitation, while also considering the implementation of security headers and content security policies to provide additional defense-in-depth measures against similar XSS vulnerabilities.