CVE-2019-10065 in Open Ticket Request System
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Open Ticket Request System (OTRS) 7.0 through 7.0.6. An attacker who is logged into OTRS as a customer user can use the search result screens to disclose information from internal FAQ articles, a different vulnerability than CVE-2019-9753.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/11/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-10065 affects the Open Ticket Request System version 7.0 through 7.0.6, representing a significant information disclosure weakness that undermines the system's access control mechanisms. This issue specifically targets customer users who have authenticated sessions within the OTRS platform, creating a scenario where unauthorized data exposure occurs through the search result functionality. The flaw demonstrates a clear violation of the principle of least privilege, where users should only access data commensurate with their assigned permissions and roles.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in how OTRS handles search result displays for customer users, particularly when these users interact with FAQ articles that contain internal or restricted information. When customer users perform searches that return results from internal FAQ articles, the system fails to properly filter or restrict the display of sensitive content. This represents a classic access control bypass vulnerability that operates at the application layer, allowing attackers to indirectly access information they should not be authorized to view. The flaw is categorized under CWE-200, Information Exposure, and more specifically aligns with CWE-542, Information Disclosure in Search Results, which addresses the improper handling of search result displays that may reveal sensitive data.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-10065 extends beyond simple data exposure, as it provides attackers with a method to gather intelligence about internal processes, system configurations, and potentially sensitive business information. Customer users who gain access to internal FAQ articles through this vulnerability can obtain detailed knowledge about system capabilities, technical implementations, and internal procedures that should remain confidential. This information could be leveraged by attackers to plan more sophisticated attacks, understand the system's architecture, or identify additional vulnerabilities within the platform. The vulnerability operates through the ATT&CK framework's T1083 - File and Directory Discovery and T1213 - Data from Information Repositories techniques, as it enables unauthorized access to repository content that should be restricted.
Organizations running affected versions of OTRS should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of the software, implementing additional access controls for FAQ article visibility, and reviewing existing user permissions to ensure proper segregation between customer and internal user roles. The vulnerability highlights the importance of comprehensive access control testing and the need for regular security assessments of search and retrieval functionalities within enterprise systems. System administrators should also consider implementing network-level restrictions and monitoring for unusual search patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The flaw underscores the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security patches and demonstrates how seemingly minor functionality issues can create significant security risks when they involve information disclosure mechanisms.