CVE-2014-3106 in Rational ClearCase
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Rational ClearQuest 7.1 before 7.1.2.15, 8.0.0 before 8.0.0.12, and 8.0.1 before 8.0.1.5 does not properly implement the Local Access Only protection mechanism, which allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and read files via the Help Server Administration feature.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/29/2022
IBM Rational ClearQuest versions 7.1 before 7.1.2.15, 8.0.0 before 8.0.0.12, and 8.0.1 before 8.0.1.5 contain a critical authentication bypass vulnerability that undermines the intended security controls designed to restrict access to local system resources. This vulnerability stems from an improper implementation of the Local Access Only protection mechanism, which is a fundamental security feature meant to prevent unauthorized remote access to sensitive administrative functions. The flaw specifically affects the Help Server Administration feature, which serves as an entry point for attackers to exploit the weakened access controls.
The technical implementation flaw manifests in the failure to properly validate and enforce access restrictions for the Help Server Administration interface. When attackers interact with this feature, the system should enforce strict local-only access policies that prevent remote exploitation. However, due to inadequate input validation and access control enforcement, remote attackers can bypass these protections and gain unauthorized access to the system. This vulnerability represents a classic example of insufficient access control mechanisms and falls under the CWE-284 access control weakness category, specifically addressing improper access control in network services. The vulnerability enables attackers to read files that should remain protected, potentially exposing sensitive configuration data, user credentials, or other confidential information stored within the ClearQuest environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it allows attackers to potentially escalate their privileges and gain deeper system insights. Remote exploitation of this vulnerability enables attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms entirely, creating a backdoor access point that could be used for data exfiltration, system compromise, or further lateral movement within the network. The implications are particularly severe in enterprise environments where Rational ClearQuest serves as a critical component for issue tracking and workflow management, as it often contains sensitive business data and process information. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential access, as it enables unauthorized access to system resources without proper authentication.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches and updates, reviewing and strengthening access controls for the Help Server Administration feature, and monitoring network traffic for suspicious activity related to the affected ClearQuest versions. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive assessments of their Rational ClearQuest installations to identify any potential exploitation attempts and ensure that proper network segmentation is in place to limit access to administrative interfaces. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper access control implementation and demonstrates how a single flaw in the authentication mechanism can compromise entire system security. Network administrators should consider implementing additional monitoring and logging controls specifically for the Help Server Administration feature to detect and prevent unauthorized access attempts.