CVE-2009-3745 in Rational AppScan
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the help pages in IBM Rational AppScan Enterprise Edition 5.5.0.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the query string.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/16/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-3745 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in IBM Rational AppScan Enterprise Edition version 5.5.0.2. This security weakness resides within the application's help pages functionality, specifically in how the system processes query string parameters. The vulnerability classifies under CWE-79 which defines improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it a classic example of an XSS attack vector. The flaw enables malicious actors to inject arbitrary web script or HTML code through manipulated URL parameters, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity within the application environment.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the help pages fail to properly sanitize or validate user-supplied input from the query string. When a user navigates to a help page with maliciously crafted parameters, the application processes these inputs without adequate filtering mechanisms. This processing failure creates an opening for attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of the victim's browser session. The vulnerability affects the authentication and authorization mechanisms of the application since successful exploitation could lead to session hijacking or privilege escalation. The attack vector operates through the standard HTTP protocol where malicious payloads are embedded within URL parameters and executed when the help page renders the user's input directly into the web response without proper encoding or validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, potentially allowing attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, modify application data, redirect users to malicious websites, or even execute more sophisticated attacks such as credential theft. The vulnerability affects the overall security posture of IBM Rational AppScan Enterprise Edition installations, potentially compromising sensitive security scan data and analysis results that the application is designed to protect. Organizations using this version of AppScan may experience unauthorized access to their security testing environments, undermining the integrity of their vulnerability assessment processes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-3745 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected IBM Rational AppScan Enterprise Edition version to the latest available security updates from IBM. System administrators should implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms for all user-supplied parameters, particularly within help page functionalities. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to prevent script execution from unauthorized sources. Network segmentation and access controls should be reviewed to limit exposure of the vulnerable application components. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security assessments of their AppScan environments to identify similar input validation weaknesses in other application modules. Regular security monitoring and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts. The remediation process should align with industry standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten project and NIST guidelines for secure coding practices, ensuring that all input validation mechanisms properly address the CWE-79 vulnerability category.