CVE-2019-9892 in Open Ticket Request System
Summary
by MITRE • 01/25/2023
An issue was discovered in Open Ticket Request System (OTRS) 5.x through 5.0.34, 6.x through 6.0.17, and 7.x through 7.0.6. An attacker who is logged into OTRS as an agent user with appropriate permissions may try to import carefully crafted Report Statistics XML that will result in reading of arbitrary files on the OTRS filesystem.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/25/2023
The vulnerability CVE-2019-9892 represents a critical file inclusion flaw within the Open Ticket Request System OTRS platform, affecting versions across multiple release branches including 5.x through 5.0.34, 6.x through 6.0.17, and 7.x through 7.0.6. This security weakness stems from insufficient input validation during XML processing operations within the system's report statistics import functionality, creating a path for unauthorized file access that could compromise the entire underlying filesystem. The vulnerability specifically targets authenticated agent users who possess appropriate permissions within the system, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have access to the ticketing system.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of XML data structures that are processed during report statistics import operations. When an authenticated user with sufficient privileges attempts to import a specially crafted XML file containing malicious file reference directives, the system fails to properly sanitize the input, allowing arbitrary file read operations to occur. This flaw falls under the category of insecure deserialization and improper input validation as classified by CWE-22 and CWE-94, respectively, and represents a classic path traversal vulnerability that enables attackers to access files beyond the intended scope of the application's normal operations. The attack vector specifically leverages the XML parsing mechanisms within OTRS's import functionality, where the system processes user-supplied XML data without adequate safeguards against malicious file references.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-9892 extends far beyond simple data theft, as it provides attackers with the ability to read arbitrary files from the OTRS filesystem, potentially exposing sensitive configuration files, database credentials, application source code, and other critical system information. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1005 for data from local system and T1078 for valid accounts, as it requires only legitimate user credentials and appropriate permissions to exploit. The compromised system could face complete data exfiltration, with attackers potentially accessing database connection strings, encryption keys, and other sensitive artifacts stored within the OTRS environment. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe in enterprise environments where OTRS systems often contain confidential customer data, internal communications, and business-critical information that could be accessed through this attack vector.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-9892 should focus on immediate patch application to the affected OTRS versions, as the vendor has released updates addressing this specific vulnerability. Organizations should implement strict input validation controls on all XML import operations, particularly those related to report statistics functionality, and consider implementing additional access controls to limit which users can perform import operations. Network segmentation and principle of least privilege should be enforced to minimize the potential impact of successful exploitation, while regular monitoring of import operations and file access patterns can help detect anomalous behavior. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls with rules specifically designed to block suspicious XML content and conduct regular security assessments of OTRS configurations to ensure proper hardening of the platform against similar vulnerabilities.