CVE-2015-0129 in Rational Quality Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM Rational Quality Manager (RQM) 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 CVE-2015-0129 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM Rational Quality Manager software versions 4.x prior to 4.0.7 iFix3 and 5.x prior to 5.0.2. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability specifically affects authenticated users who can manipulate URL parameters, creating a pathway for persistent script injection attacks that can compromise user sessions and data integrity.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through crafted URL parameters that are not properly sanitized or validated by the RQM application. When authenticated users navigate to maliciously constructed URLs, the application fails to adequately filter or encode user-supplied input before rendering it in web responses. This allows attackers to inject arbitrary HTML and JavaScript code that executes within the context of other users' browsers. The flaw exists in the application's input validation mechanisms and output encoding processes, where user-provided data flows directly into web responses without sufficient security controls to prevent script execution.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations using IBM Rational Quality Manager for software testing and quality management processes. The remote authenticated nature of the attack means that malicious actors can exploit this weakness from anywhere on the network, potentially compromising the integrity of test data, user sessions, and sensitive quality management information. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or execute unauthorized actions within the application context. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to potential system compromise and disruption of quality assurance processes that organizations rely upon for software development.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches and fixes for IBM Rational Quality Manager versions 4.0.7 iFix3 and 5.0.2, which address the input validation and output encoding deficiencies. Additionally, security teams should deploy web application firewalls and input validation controls to monitor and filter suspicious URL parameters. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through spearphishing attachments and T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter usage, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where quality management systems contain sensitive development information. Regular security assessments and code reviews should focus on input validation patterns to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the application stack.