CVE-2020-4014 in FishEye
Summary
by MITRE
The /profile/deleteWatch.do resource in Atlassian Fisheye and Crucible before version 4.8.1 allows remote attackers to remove another user's watching settings for a repository via an improper authorization vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/02/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-4014 represents a critical authorization flaw within Atlassian Fisheye and Crucible platforms, specifically affecting versions prior to 4.8.1. This issue resides in the /profile/deleteWatch.do resource which governs repository watching settings functionality. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate another user's repository watching configurations without proper authentication or authorization, effectively undermining the platform's access control mechanisms. Such vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous in collaborative development environments where multiple users interact with shared repositories and monitoring systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and authorization checks within the web application's resource handling mechanism. When users attempt to delete watching settings through the affected endpoint, the application fails to properly verify whether the requesting user has legitimate authorization to modify another user's repository watching preferences. This authorization bypass allows attackers to construct malicious requests that target specific user accounts and repository combinations, potentially disrupting collaborative workflows and exposing sensitive monitoring data to unauthorized parties. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through standard web-based attack vectors without requiring privileged access to the underlying system.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-4014 extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it compromises the integrity of user monitoring configurations within Atlassian platforms. Attackers can remove legitimate watching settings, potentially causing users to miss critical repository updates, security alerts, or development notifications. This disruption can significantly impact team collaboration, development workflow efficiency, and overall platform reliability. Additionally, the vulnerability may enable attackers to gain insights into repository access patterns and user behavior by manipulating watching configurations, which could serve as a reconnaissance step for more sophisticated attacks targeting the broader platform ecosystem. Organizations relying on these tools for code review and repository monitoring face substantial risk of operational disruption and potential security breaches.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected Atlassian Fisheye and Crucible installations to version 4.8.1 or later, which includes proper authorization checks for the affected resource. System administrators should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of these applications to untrusted networks. Regular security auditing of application endpoints and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts should be implemented. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in software applications, and corresponds to attack techniques in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation and credential access categories. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts targeting this specific endpoint.