CVE-2020-1777 in OTRS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/16/2020
Agent names that participates in a chat conversation are revealed in certain parts of the external interface as well as in chat transcriptions inside the tickets, when system is configured to mask real agent names. This issue affects OTRS; 7.0.21 and prior versions, 8.0.6 and prior versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/20/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2020-1777 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within the OTRS (Open Ticket Request System) platform that undermines the intended privacy protections for agent identities. This issue specifically manifests when the system is configured to mask real agent names, creating a false sense of security for organizations that rely on such masking capabilities to protect sensitive personnel information. The vulnerability exists in multiple version ranges including 7.0.21 and prior versions as well as 8.0.6 and prior versions, indicating this flaw has persisted across major releases of the platform. The core problem lies in the inconsistent application of name masking policies throughout the system's interface and documentation, where agent names remain visible in external interfaces and chat transcriptions even when the system configuration explicitly intends to hide them.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output filtering mechanisms within the OTRS platform's user interface rendering components. When chat conversations are transcribed and stored within tickets, the system fails to properly sanitize or mask agent names that should be hidden according to the configured privacy settings. This creates a scenario where sensitive information about personnel involvement in support tickets can be accessed by unauthorized parties through multiple vectors including external interfaces, internal ticket systems, and potentially through automated data extraction processes. The flaw operates at the application layer and represents a failure in access control and data protection mechanisms that should ensure consistent enforcement of privacy policies across all system components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privacy concerns to potentially compromise organizational security posture and customer trust. Attackers who gain access to the system can exploit this weakness to discover the identities of support personnel handling sensitive cases, potentially enabling social engineering attacks or targeted harassment. The revelation of agent names in chat transcriptions creates additional exposure points where personal information may be inadvertently disclosed, particularly in environments where support staff handle confidential data. This vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege and data minimization, as it violates the expected security boundaries that should prevent unauthorized access to personnel information. Organizations using OTRS for handling sensitive customer data, regulatory compliance cases, or high-value support tickets face heightened risk of exposure when this vulnerability remains unpatched.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-1777 should prioritize immediate patching of affected OTRS versions to address the core implementation flaw in name masking functionality. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments to identify all instances where agent names may be exposed through various system interfaces and ensure consistent enforcement of privacy policies across all components. The remediation process should include verification that chat transcriptions, external interfaces, and ticket systems all properly implement the configured name masking settings. Additionally, system administrators should review and test their privacy configurations to ensure that the intended masking behavior is consistently applied throughout the platform. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and may be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1566 (Phishing) when exploited for social engineering purposes, as the exposure of agent identities can facilitate targeted attacks against support personnel. Organizations should also implement monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts targeting this specific information disclosure vulnerability.