Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability in Redmine Package
Summary
DEBIAN-CVE-2009-4459: Redmine 0.8.7 and earlier uses the title tag before defining the character encoding in a meta tag, which allows remote attackers to conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks and inject arbitrary script via UTF-7 encoded... Affects redmine versions < 0.9.1-1. Fixed in 0.9.1-1. How to fix ↓
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Background
Redmine is a flexible project management web application that includes support for multiple projects, project wikis, and forums. It is built on Ruby on Rails and is widely used for issue tracking and project management. However, versions 0.8.7 and earlier are vulnerable to a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack due to improper handling of character encoding in the title tag.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability arises from Redmine's handling of the title tag before defining the character encoding in a meta tag. This flaw allows remote attackers to conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks by injecting arbitrary scripts via UTF-7 encoded values in the title parameter when creating a new issue page. This could lead to unauthorized actions being performed on behalf of users, especially in Internet Explorer 7 and 8, which may interpret the injected scripts as executable code.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
0.9.1-1
This is the first release that contains the fix.
sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade redmineTip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary workaround, users can avoid using Internet Explorer 7 and 8 for accessing Redmine until the package is updated. Additionally, input validation and sanitization can be implemented on the title parameter to mitigate the risk of XSS attacks.
Conclusion
The cross-site scripting vulnerability in Redmine versions 0.8.7 and earlier poses a significant risk to users, particularly those using outdated browsers. It is crucial to update to the patched version to safeguard against potential attacks.
See every vulnerability recorded for redmine →
FAQ
The vulnerability is a cross-site scripting (XSS) issue that allows attackers to inject scripts into the application.
Redmine versions 0.8.7 and earlier are affected by this vulnerability.
You can use Vulert's playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
If exploited, this vulnerability could allow attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, leading to data breaches or loss of sensitive information.
Yes, a patch is available in version 0.9.1-1 of the Redmine package.
References
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for redmine.
