CVE-2020-36192 in Source Integration Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/19/2021
An issue was discovered in the Source Integration plugin before 2.4.1 for MantisBT. An attacker can gain access to the Summary field of private Issues (either marked as Private, or part of a private Project), if they are attached to an existing Changeset. The information is visible on the view.php page, as well as on the list.php page (a pop-up on the Affected Issues id hyperlink). Additionally, if the attacker has "Update threshold" in the plugin's configuration (set to the "updater" access level by default), then they can link any Issue to a Changeset by entering the Issue's Id, even if they do not have access to it.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/15/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-36192 affects the Source Integration plugin for MantisBT versions prior to 2.4.1, representing a significant information disclosure and access control weakness that undermines the security model of private issue tracking. This flaw creates a pathway for unauthorized users to access sensitive data that should remain restricted to authorized personnel within private projects or issues marked as private. The vulnerability specifically targets the privacy controls implemented within the MantisBT system, where the plugin's design fails to properly enforce access restrictions when issues are associated with changesets, thereby exposing confidential information that would normally be protected from public or unauthorized viewing.
The technical implementation flaw stems from insufficient access control validation within the plugin's handling of changeset associations and issue visibility. When issues are linked to existing changesets, the plugin does not properly verify whether the requesting user has appropriate authorization levels to view the issue details, particularly the Summary field of private issues. This weakness manifests in two primary ways: first, the Summary field becomes accessible on both the view.php page and the list.php page through a popup display triggered by clicking on the Affected Issues id hyperlink, and second, users with specific update threshold permissions can manipulate the system to associate any issue with a changeset regardless of their access rights to that particular issue. The vulnerability essentially bypasses the normal access control mechanisms that should prevent unauthorized viewing of private information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates potential for privilege escalation and data exfiltration within software development environments that rely on MantisBT for issue tracking and source code integration. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain insights into private project details, potentially including sensitive bug reports, feature requests, or security vulnerabilities that should remain confidential. The ability to link arbitrary issues to changesets with update threshold permissions represents a particularly dangerous aspect, as it allows malicious actors to manipulate the system's tracking mechanisms and potentially create false associations that could mislead development teams or obscure legitimate issue tracking. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can lead to unauthorized access to confidential project information.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-36192 should prioritize immediate patching of the Source Integration plugin to version 2.4.1 or later, where the access control mechanisms have been properly implemented to prevent unauthorized viewing of private issue information. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring of changeset associations and issue linking activities to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues, specifically addressing inadequate access control enforcement in software systems. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078 Valid Accounts and T1566 Phishing, as attackers may need to obtain valid credentials to exploit the update threshold functionality, and the information disclosure could enable more sophisticated attacks. System administrators should review and tighten the update threshold permissions to ensure they are appropriately restricted, and implement regular security audits of issue tracking systems to identify unauthorized access patterns and maintain proper access control enforcement throughout the software development lifecycle.