CVE-2017-7620 : What You Need to Know

CVE-2017-7620 pertains to a vulnerability found in MantisBT versions older than 1.3.11, 2.x older than 2.3.3, and 2.4.x older than 2.4.1. The vulnerability is located in the string_api.php file and can lead to arbitrary Permalink Injection and open redirect attacks.

Understanding CVE-2017-7620

This CVE highlights a security flaw in MantisBT versions that can be exploited for malicious purposes.

What is CVE-2017-7620?

The vulnerability in CVE-2017-7620 arises due to a lack of proper backslash validation in the string_api.php file, causing conflicting interpretations of substrings, which can be abused for specific attacks.

The Impact of CVE-2017-7620

The vulnerability allows attackers to execute two types of attacks:

Arbitrary Permalink Injection through CSRF attacks on a permalink_page.php?url= URI.
Open redirect through a login_page.php?return= URI.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-7620

This section delves into the technical aspects of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The issue in MantisBT versions allows for conflicting interpretations of initial substrings, enabling attackers to perform Permalink Injection and open redirect attacks.

Affected Systems and Versions

MantisBT versions older than 1.3.11
MantisBT 2.x versions older than 2.3.3
MantisBT 2.4.x versions older than 2.4.1

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by manipulating specific URIs to inject arbitrary permalinks and redirect users to malicious sites.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2017-7620 requires immediate actions and long-term security measures.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update MantisBT to versions 1.3.11, 2.3.3, or 2.4.1 or newer to mitigate the vulnerability.
Monitor and restrict access to vulnerable URIs to prevent exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software to patch known vulnerabilities.
Implement strong CSRF protection mechanisms to prevent injection attacks.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches provided by MantisBT to fix the vulnerability.