CVE-2014-8925 in Rational ClearQuest
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in ClearQuest Web in IBM Rational ClearQuest 7.1.x before 7.1.2.17, 8.0.0.x before 8.0.0.14, and 8.0.1.x before 8.0.1.7 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users for requests that trigger a logout or insert XSS sequences.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/24/2017
The CVE-2014-8925 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within IBM Rational ClearQuest Web components, affecting multiple version streams including 7.1.x prior to 7.1.2.17, 8.0.0.x prior to 8.0.0.14, and 8.0.1.x prior to 8.0.1.7. This vulnerability resides in the web interface of ClearQuest, a comprehensive requirements management and change control system widely deployed in enterprise environments for tracking and managing software development processes. The flaw specifically targets the authentication mechanism and request handling within the web application, creating a significant security risk that can be exploited by remote attackers without requiring any authentication credentials.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation within the ClearQuest Web interface. When users navigate to the vulnerable ClearQuest web application, the system fails to adequately verify the authenticity of incoming requests, particularly those that modify user sessions or execute administrative functions. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or exploit existing vulnerabilities in web browsers to trick authenticated users into performing unintended actions. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to manipulate session states and inject malicious content through the logout and XSS sequence triggers, potentially leading to complete account compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive project data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple session hijacking, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary code through XSS sequences and manipulate user sessions. Organizations utilizing ClearQuest for managing critical software development processes face significant risks including unauthorized access to requirements databases, modification of change requests, potential data exfiltration, and disruption of development workflows. The vulnerability affects the core authentication and authorization mechanisms of the system, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges or gain access to confidential information stored within the ClearQuest repository. Given the widespread use of ClearQuest in enterprise environments, this vulnerability could impact numerous organizations across various industries including automotive, aerospace, financial services, and government sectors.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected ClearQuest installations to the latest available versions that contain the necessary CSRF protection mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive network segmentation to limit access to ClearQuest web interfaces and establish strict firewall rules that restrict external access to these systems. Additionally, security teams should deploy web application firewalls and implement proper input validation and output encoding to prevent XSS exploitation. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 for social engineering attacks that leverage CSRF vulnerabilities. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their ClearQuest deployments, implement proper session management controls, and establish monitoring procedures to detect anomalous user activities that may indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security training for developers and administrators on secure coding practices and awareness of CSRF attack vectors remains essential for maintaining robust security postures around enterprise collaboration tools like ClearQuest.