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OtrsApplication

CVE-2022-0475

MEDIUM · 5.4 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-03-21
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 8.0.19 or later.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Malicious translator is able to inject JavaScript code in few translatable strings (where HTML is allowed). The code could be executed in the Package manager. This issue affects: OTRS AG OTRS 7.0.x version: 7.0.32 and prior versions, 8.0.x version: 8.0.19 and prior versions.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in OTRS allows a translator with malicious intent to inject JavaScript code into translatable strings that support HTML markup. When these strings are rendered in the Package manager interface, the injected JavaScript executes in the context of the victim's browser session.

MitigationUpgrade OTRS to version 7.0.33 or 8.0.20 or later to receive the security patch. As a compensating control, restrict translator role permissions and audit translatable string content until the upgrade is applied.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
OtrsApplication
Affected:>= 7.0.0, <= 7.0.32>= 8.0.0, <= 8.0.19

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed OTRS version
    Access OTRS admin panel or check the version file in the OTRS installation directory (typically /opt/otrs/RELEASE). Run: cat RELEASE or check Admin > System Administration > System Overview for version information.
    Affected if The installed version is 7.0.0 through 7.0.32, or 8.0.0 through 8.0.19.
  2. Verify translator role assignments
    In OTRS admin interface, navigate to Admin > Users & Groups > Groups. Check if any users are assigned the 'translator' group role. Alternatively, query the group_user table in the OTRS database for users with group_id corresponding to the translator role.
    Affected if Any user account is assigned the translator role, creating the prerequisite for malicious string injection.
  3. Confirm Package Manager interface access
    Navigate to Admin > Package Manager in the OTRS web interface. Verify if this module is accessible to users (checking role permissions for admin or translator roles).
    Affected if The Package Manager interface is accessible to users with translator privileges, which is required for the XSS to trigger.
  4. Review translatable string configuration
    Check the OTRS sysconfig settings for 'TranslatableStrings' or 'Frontend::RichText' settings. Examine whether HTML markup is permitted in translation files (look for settings controlling HTML in translations under Admin > System Configuration).
    Affected if HTML markup is enabled in translatable strings, which allows the XSS payload to be embedded and rendered.

You are affected if your OTRS version falls within 7.0.0-7.0.32 or 8.0.0-8.0.19 AND users with translator role can access the Package Manager with HTML-enabled translation strings.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 8.0.19
Interim mitigation

Upgrade OTRS to version 7.0.33 or 8.0.20 or later to receive the security patch. As a compensating control, restrict translator role permissions and audit translatable string content until the upgrade is applied.

Recommended fix High confidence

OTRS 7.0.33+ or OTRS 8.0.20+ (depending on your major version)

  1. 1. Backup your OTRS database and configuration files before upgrading.
  2. 2. Identify your current OTRS version in the admin panel or by checking the VERSION file in the OTRS root directory.
  3. 3. If running OTRS 7.0.x (7.0.0 to 7.0.32), upgrade to OTRS 7.0.33 or later.
  4. 4. If running OTRS 8.0.x (8.0.0 to 8.0.19), upgrade to OTRS 8.0.20 or later.
  5. 5. Download the appropriate updated package from the official OTRS downloads page (otrs.com).
  6. 6. Follow the standard OTRS upgrade procedure: stop the OTRS service, unpack the new version, run the upgrade script (bin/otrs.upgrade.pl), and restart the service.
  7. 7. Verify the upgrade was successful and test the Package manager functionality.
  8. 8. Review translation permissions to ensure only trusted translators can modify translatable strings.
Caveat Security patch upgrade - minimal risk, but test in non-production first; review OTRS upgrade documentation for any version-specific migration steps

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Otrs Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-0475 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data