CVE-2015-0128 in Rational Quality Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM Rational Quality Manager 2.x and 3.x before 3.0.1.6 iFix4, 4.x before 4.0.7 iFix3, and 5.x before 5.0.2 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0128 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM Rational Quality Manager versions 2.x through 5.x, specifically affecting releases prior to the respective iFix patches. This vulnerability resides in the application's handling of user-supplied input within URL parameters, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of authenticated user sessions. The flaw impacts a wide range of IBM Rational Quality Manager deployments, spanning multiple major versions, making it particularly concerning for organizations maintaining legacy systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's web interface. When authenticated users navigate to specially crafted URLs containing malicious payloads, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape the input before rendering it in the browser context. This allows attackers to inject JavaScript code or HTML elements that execute within the victim's browser session, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the application. The vulnerability specifically affects URL parameters, indicating that the flaw exists in how the application processes and displays dynamic content derived from user input in web requests.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or display issues, as it enables attackers to leverage authenticated sessions for more sophisticated attacks. An authenticated attacker with minimal privileges can craft malicious URLs that, when clicked by other users, execute arbitrary code in their browsers. This capability allows for session manipulation, data exfiltration, and potentially privilege escalation within the application environment. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple versions suggests a fundamental flaw in the input sanitization process that was not adequately addressed in the affected releases, creating a widespread risk for organizations utilizing these versions of Rational Quality Manager.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the recommended iFix patches for each affected version series, specifically 3.0.1.6 iFix4, 4.0.7 iFix3, and 5.0.2, which contain the necessary code modifications to properly sanitize user input. Network-based mitigations such as web application firewalls can provide additional protection by filtering suspicious URL parameters, though these should not replace proper patching. Input validation should be strengthened at multiple layers including client-side and server-side processing, with proper HTML encoding implemented for all dynamic content. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a typical attack vector that would be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for JavaScript execution. Regular security assessments and input validation reviews should be conducted to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future development cycles, emphasizing the importance of secure coding practices and comprehensive testing procedures.