CVE-2012-0748 in Rational Team Concert
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in unspecified services in IBM Rational Team Concert (RTC) 4.x before 4.0.0.1 allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users for requests that modify work items.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/05/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0748 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw affecting IBM Rational Team Concert versions 4.x prior to 4.0.0.1. This weakness resides within unspecified services of the RTC platform, which is widely used for collaborative software development and project management. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation within the application's authentication mechanisms. Attackers can exploit this flaw to craft malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate authenticated users, thereby gaining unauthorized access to modify critical work items within the development environment.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. The flaw operates by leveraging the trust relationship between the web application and its users, where the application fails to properly verify that requests are initiated by the authenticated user rather than by an attacker who has tricked the user into executing malicious actions. In the context of IBM Rational Team Concert, this means that an attacker could potentially manipulate work item data, modify project timelines, alter task assignments, or otherwise compromise the integrity of collaborative development processes. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to hijack authentication sessions without requiring knowledge of user credentials, making it an attractive target for malicious actors seeking to disrupt development workflows.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data modification, as it can severely compromise the integrity and security of development environments. When attackers successfully exploit this CSRF vulnerability, they can manipulate work items that may contain sensitive project information, code changes, or development schedules. The implications are significant for organizations relying on RTC for managing their software development lifecycle, as unauthorized modifications could lead to project delays, security breaches, or compromised intellectual property. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the platform, potentially allowing attackers to disrupt ongoing development activities and compromise the trust model that RTC relies upon for collaborative work management.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to IBM Rational Team Concert 4.0.0.1 or later versions where the CSRF vulnerabilities have been addressed. The fix typically involves implementing proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms that validate request authenticity and ensure that all modifications to work items require proper authorization. Security teams should also consider implementing additional controls such as request origin validation, session management improvements, and monitoring for suspicious activities within the RTC environment. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the CSRF protections are properly implemented and that legitimate user workflows remain unaffected. Organizations using older versions of RTC should prioritize this upgrade as part of their overall security posture improvement efforts, particularly in environments where sensitive development data is managed and collaborative work item modifications are frequent.