CVE-2022-38367 in User Export Add-on
Summary
by MITRE • 09/05/2022
The Netic User Export add-on before 2.0.6 for Atlassian Jira does not perform authorization checks. This might allow an unauthenticated user to export all users from Jira by making an HTTP request to the affected endpoint.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/13/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-38367 affects the Netic User Export add-on for Atlassian Jira, specifically versions prior to 2.0.6. This represents a critical authorization bypass flaw that undermines the fundamental security controls of the Jira platform. The issue stems from the add-on's failure to implement proper access controls when processing user export requests, creating a pathway for unauthorized individuals to access sensitive user data without authentication. The vulnerability exists within the add-on's endpoint handling mechanism, where it accepts HTTP requests without validating the requester's credentials or permissions. This flaw directly violates the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a severe failure in the application's security architecture. The affected component operates as an extension to Jira's core functionality, providing user export capabilities that should inherently require administrative privileges or explicit user consent. The absence of authorization checks means that any individual capable of reaching the vulnerable endpoint can execute the export operation and potentially obtain comprehensive user listings including usernames, email addresses, and other identifying information.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through straightforward HTTP requests directed at the specific endpoint exposed by the Netic User Export add-on. Attackers do not require any valid credentials or prior access to the Jira instance to trigger the export functionality. This unauthenticated access vector represents a significant operational risk as it allows threat actors to systematically enumerate users within the organization's Jira environment. The exported data typically includes detailed user profiles that can be used for further attacks such as social engineering, credential stuffing, or targeted phishing campaigns. The flaw manifests as a missing authorization control check within the add-on's request processing logic, where the system fails to verify whether the requesting entity has appropriate permissions to access the user data. This type of vulnerability is classified as a weakness in authorization mechanisms and aligns with CWE-285, which addresses insufficient authorization issues. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects a widely used add-on, meaning that organizations with multiple Jira instances or those that have deployed the add-on may be at risk across their entire user base.
The operational implications of this vulnerability extend far beyond simple data exposure, as it fundamentally compromises the confidentiality and integrity of user information within Atlassian Jira environments. Organizations may experience significant security breaches when unauthorized parties gain access to user directories, potentially leading to insider threat risks, compliance violations, and reputational damage. The vulnerability enables attackers to harvest comprehensive user datasets that can be used for account takeover attempts, particularly when combined with other reconnaissance activities. From an attacker's perspective, this represents a low-effort, high-impact method for gathering intelligence about the organization's user base and internal structure. The vulnerability also creates risks for organizations that rely on Jira for sensitive project management or issue tracking, as user enumeration can reveal information about team compositions, project involvement, and organizational hierarchies. The lack of proper authorization controls means that even basic user accounts could potentially be used to access this functionality, making the attack surface broader than initially apparent. This vulnerability directly impacts the security posture of Jira deployments and represents a failure in the security review process for third-party add-ons that integrate with critical enterprise applications.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to Netic User Export add-on version 2.0.6 or later, which addresses the authorization bypass issue through proper access control implementation. Security administrators should also conduct comprehensive audits of all installed Jira add-ons to identify similar vulnerabilities in other third-party extensions. Network-level controls such as firewall rules or API gateways can be configured to restrict access to the vulnerable endpoint until the upgrade is completed. The remediation process should include thorough testing to ensure that legitimate administrative users can still access the export functionality while unauthorized users are properly blocked. Additionally, organizations should implement monitoring and alerting mechanisms to detect unusual access patterns to user-related endpoints, which could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of security reviews for third-party software integrations and the need for continuous monitoring of application access controls. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as rate limiting and request validation to further protect against abuse of administrative functions. Regular security assessments of Jira environments, including vulnerability scanning and penetration testing, should be conducted to identify and remediate similar authorization flaws that may exist in other components or add-ons. The incident highlights the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and the potential consequences of neglecting security updates for third-party applications that integrate with core business systems.