CVE-2009-1056 in Rational AppScan
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Rational AppScan Enterprise before 5.5 FP1 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary exported reports by "forcefully browsing."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/13/2017
IBM Rational AppScan Enterprise version 5.5 and earlier contains a critical access control vulnerability that enables remote attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms and access arbitrary exported reports through forced browsing techniques. This vulnerability resides in the web application's authorization controls and represents a classic path traversal or forced browsing attack vector that allows unauthorized access to sensitive security scan data. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of user permissions and improper access controls within the application's report export functionality. Attackers can exploit this by directly accessing report URLs without proper authentication, potentially gaining access to confidential security assessment data including vulnerability findings, scan results, and system configuration information that would normally be restricted to authorized users only. The vulnerability affects the application's web interface where exported reports are stored and made available through predictable URL patterns. This issue directly maps to CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization within software applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002 related to data from information repositories. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as these security reports often contain detailed vulnerability assessments that could be leveraged by attackers to plan further exploitation attempts against the scanned systems. Organizations using this version of AppScan Enterprise face significant risk of exposure to unauthorized parties who could access comprehensive security assessment data that might reveal system weaknesses and potential attack vectors. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where security scanning tools are used to assess critical infrastructure, as the disclosure of scan results could provide attackers with valuable intelligence for targeting specific systems or applications within the organization. The forced browsing aspect of this vulnerability means that attackers do not require complex exploitation techniques or special tools to access restricted content, making it particularly dangerous as the attack surface is reduced to simple URL manipulation. This type of vulnerability demonstrates poor secure coding practices and inadequate input validation within the application's web framework, where the system fails to properly verify that users have appropriate authorization levels before granting access to sensitive resources. The remediation involves updating to IBM Rational AppScan Enterprise 5.5 Fix Pack 1 or later versions that address the authorization bypass issue through proper access control enforcement and input validation mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to this vulnerability while applying the official patch. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual access patterns to report resources, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar authorization issues within other enterprise applications. The vulnerability underscores the importance of implementing proper access control mechanisms and adhering to security best practices in web application development to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data and maintain the integrity of security assessment tools.