CVE-2021-39111 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

This CVE-2021-39111 article provides details about a Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability in Atlassian Jira Server and Data Center versions.

Understanding CVE-2021-39111

This section delves into the specifics of the CVE-2021-39111 vulnerability affecting Atlassian Jira Server and Data Center.

What is CVE-2021-39111?

The Editor plugin in Atlassian Jira Server and Data Center versions before 8.5.18, from 8.6.0 before 8.13.10, and from 8.14.0 before 8.18.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML or JavaScript via a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability.

The Impact of CVE-2021-39111

Attackers can exploit the XSS vulnerability to inject malicious code, posing a risk of data theft or unauthorized access.
The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of user information within the Jira Server and Data Center platforms.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-39111

This section explores the technical aspects of the CVE-2021-39111 vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The CVE-2021-39111 vulnerability allows remote attackers to perform XSS attacks by injecting malicious HTML or JavaScript code into fields like the description field, including content pasted from a PDF.

Affected Systems and Versions

Jira Server versions before 8.5.18, between 8.6.0 and 8.13.10, and from 8.14.0 to 8.18.2 are impacted.
Jira Data Center versions matching the affected server versions are also vulnerable.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers exploit the vulnerability by inserting malicious code through supplied content such as from a PDF import.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect your system with these mitigation strategies.

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade to a patched version of Jira Server and Jira Data Center to prevent exploitation.
Restrict user permissions to minimize the impact of potential attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement input validation mechanisms to filter out potentially malicious scripts.
Regularly monitor and audit the platform for unusual activities and unexpected code injections.

Patching and Updates

Apply the latest security patches provided by Atlassian to address the vulnerability and enhance platform security.