CVE-2013-0598 in Rational ClearQuest
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Web Client in IBM Rational ClearQuest 7.1 before 7.1.2.12, 8.0 before 8.0.0.8, and 8.0.1 before 8.0.1.1 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/07/2022
The CVE-2013-0598 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within IBM Rational ClearQuest's Web Client component. This vulnerability exists in multiple versions of the software including 7.1 before 7.1.2.12, 8.0 before 8.0.0.8, and 8.0.1 before 8.0.1.1. The flaw allows remote attackers to exploit the authentication mechanism by tricking authenticated users into executing unauthorized actions without their knowledge or consent. The vulnerability specifically targets the Web Client interface which serves as the primary user interaction point for ClearQuest's web-based functionality.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF measures in the Web Client's request handling mechanisms. When users navigate to malicious websites or receive crafted requests, the system fails to validate the origin of requests or verify that they originate from legitimate user interactions. This weakness enables attackers to construct malicious web pages that automatically submit requests to the vulnerable ClearQuest instance, effectively hijacking existing user sessions. The flaw operates at the application layer where HTTP requests are processed without sufficient validation of request authenticity, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through various attack vectors including phishing campaigns or compromised websites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with the ability to perform arbitrary actions within the ClearQuest environment using authenticated user privileges. An attacker could potentially modify or delete records, create new entries, or perform administrative functions depending on the user's permissions level. The hijacking of authentication sessions means that the attacker can operate with the full privileges of the compromised user, potentially leading to data integrity violations, unauthorized access to sensitive information, and disruption of business processes that rely on ClearQuest for issue tracking and management. This vulnerability undermines the fundamental security model of the application by allowing unauthorized actions to be performed under legitimate user credentials.
Organizations using affected versions of IBM Rational ClearQuest should immediately apply the vendor-provided patches and updates to address this vulnerability. The recommended mitigation strategy involves implementing proper CSRF token validation mechanisms within the Web Client to ensure that all requests originate from legitimate user interactions. Security teams should also consider implementing network-level controls such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious request patterns. Additionally, user education regarding phishing risks and the importance of verifying website authenticity can help reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses, and represents a significant risk under the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques where attackers seek to leverage existing authenticated sessions for unauthorized operations.