CVE-2019-19249 in QueryTree
Summary
by MITRE
Controllers/InvitationsController.cs in QueryTree before 3.0.99-beta mishandles invitations.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-19249 resides within the Controllers/InvitationsController.cs file of the QueryTree application prior to version 3.0.99-beta, representing a critical security flaw that affects the invitation handling mechanism. This issue falls under the broader category of insecure invitation processing, which can potentially allow unauthorized users to manipulate the invitation system and gain inappropriate access to restricted resources or functionality. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation and sanitization of invitation parameters, creating opportunities for malicious actors to exploit the system's trust model.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper handling of invitation data within the InvitationsController, where the application fails to adequately validate user inputs or enforce proper access controls during invitation creation, modification, or deletion processes. This weakness enables attackers to craft malicious invitation requests that bypass normal authorization checks, potentially allowing them to invite unauthorized users or manipulate existing invitations to gain elevated privileges. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the controller level, meaning it affects core application functionality rather than being limited to specific modules or components. This type of flaw commonly maps to CWE-20: Improper Input Validation, which is classified as a fundamental weakness in software security design.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple access control breaches, as it can enable a range of malicious activities including privilege escalation, unauthorized data access, and potential system compromise. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could manipulate the invitation system to create fake invitations, modify existing invitations to include unauthorized recipients, or bypass authentication mechanisms entirely. The implications are particularly severe in environments where invitation-based access control is fundamental to the application's security model, as it undermines the entire trust relationship between the system and its users. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004: Valid Accounts, specifically the sub-technique involving legitimate credentials obtained through social engineering or manipulation of access control systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-19249 should focus on implementing robust input validation, proper access control enforcement, and thorough parameter sanitization within the invitation handling processes. Organizations should immediately upgrade to QueryTree version 3.0.99-beta or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the vulnerability. Additionally, implementing comprehensive logging and monitoring of invitation-related activities can help detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. Security measures should include validating all invitation parameters against predefined schemas, enforcing strict access controls for invitation operations, and implementing rate limiting to prevent abuse of the invitation system. The remediation approach should also incorporate regular security assessments of controller-level functionality and adherence to secure coding practices that prevent improper input handling and unauthorized privilege escalation scenarios.