CVE-2019-15041 in YouTrack
Summary
by MITRE
JetBrains YouTrack versions before 2019.1.52545 allowed unbounded URL whitelisting because of Inclusion of Functionality from an Untrusted Control Sphere.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/29/2023
This vulnerability exists in JetBrains YouTrack versions prior to 2019.1.52545 and represents a critical security flaw related to improper input validation and trust boundary violations. The issue stems from the application's handling of URL whitelisting functionality, where the system fails to properly validate or limit the scope of URLs that can be included in trusted domains. This allows malicious actors to potentially bypass security controls by injecting arbitrary URLs into the whitelisting mechanism, effectively creating a path for unauthorized access or data exfiltration. The vulnerability is classified as an inclusion of functionality from an untrusted control sphere, which directly maps to CWE-470, a well-known weakness involving the use of unsafe functions or mechanisms that can lead to arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation.
The technical implementation flaw occurs when the application processes user-supplied URL parameters without adequate sanitization or validation of the input domain specifications. This allows an attacker to manipulate the whitelisting configuration by providing URLs that contain unexpected or malicious domain components. When the system processes these unvalidated URLs, it may incorporate them into the trusted domain list without proper verification of their legitimacy or security posture. This creates a dangerous scenario where an attacker can potentially redirect traffic or establish trust relationships with malicious domains that should not be permitted in the system's security configuration.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including but not limited to cross-site scripting attacks, data interception, or privilege escalation within the YouTrack environment. An attacker who can manipulate the URL whitelisting mechanism gains the ability to establish trust relationships with domains they control, potentially allowing them to bypass security controls that rely on domain validation. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive project data, user credentials, or system configuration information. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where YouTrack is used for issue tracking and collaboration, as it could provide attackers with persistent access to critical business information and development workflows.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of the YouTrack application to version 2019.1.52545 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the URL whitelisting validation. Organizations should also implement network-level restrictions to limit outbound connections from the YouTrack server and monitor for unusual domain access patterns. Additionally, security teams should review existing whitelisting configurations to ensure that only legitimate and necessary domains are included in trust relationships. The fix addresses the core issue by implementing proper input validation and sanitization of URL parameters, ensuring that only properly formatted and verified domains can be added to the trusted whitelist. This aligns with security best practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and follows the principle of least privilege by preventing unauthorized domain inclusion in security-critical configurations. Organizations should also consider implementing automated monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts and maintain comprehensive audit logs of all whitelisting changes for forensic analysis purposes.