CVE-2023-35929 in Tuleap Community Edition
Summary
by MITRE • 07/25/2023
Tuleap is a free and open source suite to improve management of software development and collaboration. Prior to version 14.10.99.4 of Tuleap Community Edition and prior to versions 14.10-2 and 14.9-5 of Tuleap Enterprise Edition, content displayed in the "card fields" (visible in the kanban and PV2 apps) is not properly escaped. A malicious user with the capability to create an artifact or to edit a field used as a card field could force victim to execute uncontrolled code. Tuleap Community Edition 14.10.99.4, Tuleap Enterprise Edition 14.10-2, and Tuleap Enterprise Edition 14.9-5 contain a fix.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/26/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-35929 affects Tuleap, a comprehensive suite designed to enhance software development management and collaboration. This security flaw exists in both Community and Enterprise editions of the platform, specifically impacting versions prior to the mentioned patches. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization within the card fields functionality, which is prominently displayed in the kanban and PV2 applications. These applications serve as critical components for visual project management and task tracking within software development teams.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the improper escaping of content within card fields, which are integral elements used to display artifact information and project data. When malicious users with appropriate permissions create or modify artifacts that are subsequently displayed in these card fields, they can inject malicious content that bypasses the platform's security controls. This flaw represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability where user-supplied data is not properly sanitized before being rendered to other users. The vulnerability is classified as a CWE-79 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security that allows attackers to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows for arbitrary code execution against victims who view affected card fields. An attacker with permissions to create or modify artifacts can craft malicious content that, when displayed in card fields, can execute unauthorized scripts in the browser context of other users. This creates a potential attack vector for session hijacking, data exfiltration, or more sophisticated attacks such as phishing attempts that appear legitimate within the Tuleap interface. The vulnerability affects users who have the capability to contribute to projects through artifact creation or field editing, which typically includes developers, project managers, and team members with appropriate access rights.
The security implications extend beyond simple script injection as this vulnerability can be exploited to compromise user sessions and potentially escalate privileges within the application. Attackers can leverage this flaw to execute malicious JavaScript code that can read cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or harvest sensitive information from the Tuleap environment. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates within the core collaboration features of the platform, meaning that any user with artifact creation privileges could potentially exploit this weakness. Organizations using Tuleap for project management and development collaboration face increased risk of data breaches and unauthorized access to their development environments.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve immediate deployment of the patches provided by Tuleap for versions 14.10.99.4, 14.10-2, and 14.9-5 across all affected installations. System administrators should also implement additional security measures including input validation, content security policies, and regular security assessments of user permissions within the platform. The fix addresses the core issue of insufficient output escaping in card field rendering, ensuring that all user-supplied content is properly sanitized before display. Organizations should also consider implementing network-based security controls such as web application firewalls to provide additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the patches do not introduce regressions in functionality while maintaining the integrity of the application's collaborative features.
This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through phishing and T1203 for exploitation for persistence, as it can be used to establish unauthorized access to user sessions and potentially maintain access through compromised user credentials. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and output escaping in web applications, particularly in collaborative platforms where users have elevated privileges to modify content that is subsequently displayed to other users. Organizations should review their security configurations and implement regular vulnerability assessments to identify and remediate similar issues in their software development environments.