CVE-2019-20099 in JIRA Server
Summary
by MITRE
The VerifyPopServerConnection!add.jspa component in Atlassian Jira Server and Data Center before version 8.7.0 is vulnerable to cross-site request forgery (CSRF). An attacker could exploit this by tricking an administrative user into making malicious HTTP requests, allowing the attacker to enumerate hosts and open ports on the internal network where Jira server is present.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/11/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-20099 resides within the VerifyPopServerConnection!add.jspa component of Atlassian Jira Server and Data Center versions prior to 8.7.0, representing a critical cross-site request forgery flaw that fundamentally undermines the security posture of affected systems. This CSRF vulnerability operates by exploiting the trust relationship between the web application and authenticated users, specifically targeting administrative accounts with elevated privileges. The flaw enables attackers to manipulate the victim's browser into executing unauthorized actions against the Jira server without their knowledge or consent, creating a significant attack surface that extends beyond traditional web application boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms within the VerifyPopServerConnection!add.jspa endpoint, which is designed to validate POP server connections within the Jira environment. When an administrative user accesses this component, the application fails to validate the authenticity of the request origin, allowing malicious actors to craft specially crafted requests that appear legitimate to the server. This weakness is particularly dangerous because the endpoint's functionality involves network connectivity testing, which inherently requires the application to interact with internal network resources. The vulnerability enables attackers to leverage this legitimate functionality to perform reconnaissance activities against the internal network infrastructure where Jira server operates.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with the capability to enumerate hosts and scan open ports on the internal network from within the Jira server's trusted context. This reconnaissance capability represents a significant threat to network security since the attacker can bypass traditional network segmentation controls and gain insights into internal network topology and services. The vulnerability effectively transforms the Jira server into a potential reconnaissance platform for attackers, allowing them to map internal network resources and identify potential targets for further exploitation. This capability aligns with attack patterns described in the ATT&CK framework under the reconnaissance phase, specifically targeting network discovery and credential access techniques.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal user interaction from the target administrative user, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where administrators frequently interact with various web applications. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or embed the exploit within existing malicious content that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, automatically triggers the CSRF attack. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that Jira administrators typically possess elevated privileges and access to sensitive organizational data, making the reconnaissance capabilities particularly valuable for attackers planning more sophisticated attacks. This scenario represents a classic example of how insecure direct object references and missing input validation can create significant security risks that extend far beyond the immediate application boundaries.
Organizations should implement comprehensive mitigation strategies that include immediate patching of affected Jira installations to version 8.7.0 or later, where the CSRF protection mechanisms have been properly implemented. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be reviewed to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation, ensuring that even if an attacker gains access to the Jira server, they cannot easily move laterally within the network. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of implementing proper security controls such as Content Security Policy headers and implementing anti-CSRF tokens for all state-changing operations within web applications. This issue is classified under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities, emphasizing the need for robust authentication and authorization mechanisms to prevent unauthorized operations from being executed on behalf of legitimate users. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for unusual network scanning activities that may indicate exploitation attempts.