Atlassian Jira is a popular web-based project management and issue tracking platform, widely used by software teams to manage their backlog, sprints, and releases. It offers numerous plugins and integrations to streamline the software development lifecycle. However, like any other software, Jira comes with its share of vulnerabilities. In this post, we will discuss one such vulnerability, indexed as CVE-2019-15002, that exists in Jira versions from 7.6.4 to 8.1..

Problem Statement

An exploitable Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability has been discovered in Atlassian Jira's login form, affecting the mentioned versions. Due to the absence of a required CSRF token, attackers can potentially hijack user sessions and log them into the system under unexpected accounts. This not only compromises user data but can also lead to unauthorized access to sensitive project information and loss of important project data.

What is CSRF?

Cross-Site Request Forgery is a type of security vulnerability that tricks a user into executing unwanted actions on a web application in which they are currently authenticated. In essence, CSRF attacks target state-changing requests, not data theft, because the attacker has no way of seeing the response to the forged request. This attack technique takes advantage of the trust placed by a web application in a user's credentials.

Code Snippet

A typical scenario where this vulnerability can be exploited is when an attacker sends a carefully crafted link to a Jira user. When clicked, this link can execute the following malicious code, where jira_url would be replaced with the target Jira instance URL:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <body>
    <form action="jira_url/login.jsp" method="post" id="fakeform">
      <input type="hidden" name="os_username" value="attacker_account" />
      <input type="hidden" name="os_password" value="attacker_password" />
      <input type="hidden" name="os_destination" value="welcome.jsp" />
    </form>
    <script>
      document.getElementById("fakeform").submit();
    </script>
  </body>
</html>

This code snippet creates a hidden form that submits a POST request to the Jira login page, using the attacker's account credentials. The unsuspecting user will unknowingly log in to the attacker's account when they click the malicious link.

Original References

The vulnerability was originally reported by cybersecurity researcher Enguerran Gillier, who provided a detailed explanation of the issue as well as a proof-of-concept to demonstrate the exploit. You can find the original advisory at the following link:

- CVE-2019-15002 Advisory

Wait for the user to click the link or open the page in their browser.

By following these steps, the attacker can log in as a different Jira user without their knowledge, potentially gaining unauthorized access to the targeted Jira instance.

Mitigation

Atlassian has acknowledged this issue and has released a security patch for Jira Server and Jira Data Center, addressing the CSRF vulnerability in the affected versions. Users are advised to update their Jira instances to at least version 8.1.1. The patch includes improvements to CSRF protection by requiring a token in the login form. The complete list of fixed security vulnerabilities is available at the following link:

- Atlassian Jira Security Advisory 2019-08-07

Conclusion

It is crucial for software development teams to be vigilant about potential vulnerabilities in the tools they use. Regularly checking for security updates and keeping your team informed about the latest patches can minimize the risk of exploitation. Additionally, users should be cautious when clicking on unfamiliar links, especially if they are related to the software tools they are working with.

By understanding and addressing the CVE-2019-15002 vulnerability, Jira users can take a proactive approach to protect their project data and keep their team's information safe.

Timeline

Published on: 02/11/2025 18:15:18 UTC
Last modified on: 02/28/2025 21:15:13 UTC