CVE-2017-18039 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

CVE-2017-18039, published on February 2, 2018, addresses a vulnerability in Atlassian Jira versions from 6.2.1 to 7.4.4 that allows remote attackers to perform cross-site scripting attacks.

Understanding CVE-2017-18039

This CVE entry highlights a specific vulnerability in Atlassian Jira that could potentially compromise the security of affected systems.

What is CVE-2017-18039?

The vulnerability in the IncomingMailServers resource of Atlassian Jira versions from 6.2.1 to 7.4.4 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML or JavaScript. This is achieved through a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack leveraging the messagesThreshold parameter.

The Impact of CVE-2017-18039

The vulnerability poses a significant risk as it enables attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of the user's session, potentially leading to unauthorized actions or data theft.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-18039

This section delves into the technical aspects of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Atlassian Jira versions from 6.2.1 to 7.4.4 allows for the injection of arbitrary HTML or JavaScript code through the messagesThreshold parameter, facilitating XSS attacks.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Jira
Vendor: Atlassian
Versions Affected: From 6.2.1 to 7.4.4

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited remotely by attackers to inject malicious code, potentially leading to the execution of unauthorized scripts within the application.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2017-18039 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Atlassian Jira to a version beyond 7.4.4 to mitigate the vulnerability.
Implement strict input validation to prevent malicious code injection.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and audit the application for any suspicious activities.
Educate users about the risks of clicking on untrusted links or opening suspicious emails.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates and patches released by Atlassian to address vulnerabilities like CVE-2017-18039.