CVE-2021-41309 in JIRA Server
Summary
by MITRE • 12/08/2021
Affected versions of Atlassian Jira Server and Data Center allow a user who has had their Jira Service Management access revoked to export audit logs of another user's Jira Service Management project via a Broken Authentication vulnerability in the /plugins/servlet/audit/resource endpoint. The affected versions of Jira Server and Data Center are before version 8.19.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/10/2024
This vulnerability resides in Atlassian Jira Server and Data Center platforms where a critical authentication flaw exists in the /plugins/servlet/audit/resource endpoint. The vulnerability manifests as a broken authentication issue that allows malicious actors to bypass normal access controls and export audit logs from projects they should not have access to. This occurs specifically when a user's Jira Service Management access has been revoked but the system fails to properly enforce this revocation, enabling continued unauthorized access to audit data. The flaw affects all versions prior to 8.19.1, making a significant portion of deployed Jira instances vulnerable to this exploitation. The security weakness directly relates to CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication mechanisms, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts usage, as it exploits legitimate user access tokens to perform unauthorized actions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves leveraging the revoked user's session or credentials to access the audit logging functionality that should be restricted to authorized personnel only. Attackers can potentially harvest sensitive information about user activities, system access patterns, and operational behaviors within Jira Service Management projects. This unauthorized export capability creates a significant data leakage risk where confidential audit information about other users' activities can be accessed and potentially used for further attacks or malicious purposes. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as audit logs often contain detailed records of user permissions, system modifications, and access patterns that could aid in privilege escalation or social engineering attacks.
Organizations running affected Jira versions face substantial operational risks including potential compliance violations, data breaches, and compromised security posture. The vulnerability undermines the principle of least privilege by allowing unauthorized access to audit trails that should remain protected. This breach of audit controls can lead to insider threat detection failures and makes it difficult for security teams to maintain proper oversight of system activities. The exploitation of this flaw could enable attackers to map user access rights, identify system vulnerabilities, and potentially plan more sophisticated attacks against the organization. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as part of broader reconnaissance activities that could lead to privilege escalation or data exfiltration.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate deployment of Atlassian Jira Server and Data Center version 8.19.1 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the broken authentication vulnerability. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring around the audit endpoint to detect anomalous access patterns and unauthorized export activities. Security teams should conduct comprehensive access reviews to identify and revoke any unnecessary or revoked user permissions. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened around audit functionality to prevent unauthorized access attempts. Regular security assessments should include verification of authentication controls and proper enforcement of access revocation procedures to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the Jira ecosystem.