CVE-2015-0125 in Rational Doors Next Generation
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM Rational DOORS Next Generation 4.x before 4.0.7 iFix3 and 5.x before 5.0.2 and Rational Requirements Composer 4.x before 4.0.7 iFix3 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/14/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0125 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting IBM Rational DOORS Next Generation and Rational Requirements Composer software versions prior to specific patch releases. This vulnerability resides within the web application layer of these enterprise requirements management tools, which are widely utilized in software development lifecycle processes for requirement tracking and management. The affected versions include DOORS Next Generation 4.x before 4.0.7 iFix3 and 5.x before 5.0.2, as well as Rational Requirements Composer 4.x before 4.0.7 iFix3, creating a substantial attack surface across multiple IBM product lines used by organizations for mission-critical software development projects.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web application's URL handling functionality. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious URLs containing embedded script code that gets executed in the context of authenticated user sessions. The vulnerability specifically affects authenticated users who interact with the web interface, meaning that an attacker must first obtain valid credentials to leverage this flaw. However, the impact is significant as the attacker can execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML content within the victim's browser session, potentially leading to session hijacking, data exfiltration, or further compromise of the authenticated user's privileges. This flaw directly maps to CWE-79, which defines Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities as the injection of malicious code into web applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for initial access through malicious web content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to manipulate the requirements management environment in ways that compromise the integrity of development data. An attacker could potentially inject malicious scripts that modify requirement specifications, manipulate test cases, or redirect users to phishing sites while maintaining the appearance of legitimate application behavior. The authenticated nature of the vulnerability means that attackers could exploit this through legitimate user sessions, making detection more challenging and potentially allowing for prolonged unauthorized access. Organizations utilizing these tools for critical software development projects face significant risk, as the compromise of a single authenticated session could lead to manipulation of requirements documentation, test results, or other sensitive development artifacts that directly impact software quality and security posture.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patch application to the affected IBM software versions, ensuring that all systems are updated to the latest available iFix releases. Organizations should also implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script injection attempts, while establishing robust input validation policies that sanitize all user-supplied data before processing. Additionally, security awareness training for developers and administrators should emphasize the importance of proper input validation and output encoding practices, as well as regular security testing of web applications. The vulnerability's classification as a persistent security issue underscores the importance of maintaining updated security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that include monitoring for suspicious URL patterns and user behavior anomalies that might indicate exploitation attempts.