CVE-2014-0842 in Rational Focal Point
Summary
by MITRE
The account-creation functionality in IBM Rational Focal Point 6.4.x and 6.5.x before 6.5.2.3 and 6.6.x before 6.6.1 places the new user s default password within the creation page, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information by reading the HTML source code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/19/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0842 affects IBM Rational Focal Point versions 6.4.x through 6.5.x before 6.5.2.3 and 6.6.x before 6.6.1, representing a critical information disclosure flaw in the user account creation process. This vulnerability stems from improper security design where the system exposes sensitive authentication credentials directly within the HTML source code of the account creation page, creating an exploitable condition that violates fundamental security principles of credential handling and information protection.
The technical implementation flaw occurs when the web application renders the account creation interface, embedding the default password value as plain text within the HTML markup. This design decision directly contravenes security best practices and industry standards such as CWE-200, which addresses "Information Exposure," and CWE-312, which covers "Sensitive Data Exposure." The vulnerability creates an attack surface where remote adversaries can simply view the HTML source code of the account creation page to extract the default password, eliminating any need for complex exploitation techniques or authentication bypass methods.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables unauthorized access to user accounts with minimal technical skill or resources required. An attacker can gain immediate access to newly created accounts without needing to perform password guessing, brute force attacks, or other time-consuming exploitation methods. This flaw undermines the integrity of the authentication system and creates potential for privilege escalation, data theft, and system compromise. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of the system as defined by the CIA triad, and represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege.
The security implications extend beyond simple credential theft, as this vulnerability can facilitate further attacks within the network infrastructure. Once an attacker obtains a default password, they can potentially access restricted system areas, modify user permissions, or escalate privileges to administrative levels. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004, "Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts," and T1566.001, "Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment," as attackers can leverage the exposed credentials for unauthorized access. The flaw also demonstrates poor input validation and output encoding practices, which are commonly addressed through secure coding guidelines and security frameworks such as OWASP Top Ten and NIST SP 800-53.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches, reviewing and updating account creation workflows, and implementing proper credential handling practices. The recommended remediation involves ensuring that sensitive information such as passwords is never exposed in client-side code, but instead is securely generated and transmitted through secure channels. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive security reviews of their web applications to identify similar information disclosure vulnerabilities and implement proper security controls such as input sanitization, output encoding, and secure credential management practices.