CVE-2015-1928 in Rational
Summary
by MITRE
Jazz Team Server in Jazz Foundation in IBM Rational Collaborative Lifecycle Management (CLM) 3.x and 4.x before 4.0.7 IF9, 5.x before 5.0.2 IF11, and 6.x before 6.0.0 IF4; Rational Quality Manager (RQM) 3.x before 3.0.1.6 IF7, 4.x before 4.0.7 IF9, 5.x before 5.0.2 IF11, 6.0 before 6.0.0 IF4; Rational Team Concert (RTC) 3.x before 3.0.1.6 IF7, 4.x before 4.0.7 IF9, 5.x before 5.0.2 IF11, 6.0 before 6.0.0 IF4; Rational Requirements Composer (RRC) 3.x before 3.0.1.6 IF7 and 4.x before 4.0.7 IF9; Rational DOORS Next Generation (RDNG) 4.x before 4.0.7 IF9, 5.x before 5.0.2 IF11, 6.0 before 6.0.0 IF4; Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager (RELM) 4.0.3 through 4.0.7, 5.0 through 5.0.2, and 6.0.0; Rational Rhapsody Design Manager (DM) 4.0 through 4.0.7, 5.0 through 5.0.2, and 6.0.0; and Rational Software Architect Design Manager (DM) 4.0 through 4.0.7, 5.0 through 5.0.2, and 6.0.0 allows remote authenticated users to conduct clickjacking attacks via a crafted web site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/02/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-1928 represents a critical clickjacking flaw affecting multiple IBM Rational collaborative software products within the Collaborative Lifecycle Management ecosystem. This security weakness resides in the Jazz Team Server component of the Jazz Foundation framework, which serves as the core infrastructure for various Rational products including Rational Team Concert, Rational Quality Manager, and Rational Requirements Composer. The vulnerability impacts versions 3.x through 6.x across multiple Rational products, with specific affected releases including CLM 3.x and 4.x before 4.0.7 IF9, 5.x before 5.0.2 IF11, and 6.x before 6.0.0 IF4, along with corresponding versions of RQM, RTC, RRC, RDNG, RELM, Rhapsody DM, and Software Architect DM. The flaw enables remote authenticated attackers to execute clickjacking attacks through maliciously crafted websites that can deceive users into performing unintended actions within the targeted Rational applications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient protection mechanisms against overlay attacks where malicious web pages can embed legitimate application interfaces within invisible or deceptive frames. When users navigate to a compromised website, they may unknowingly interact with hidden interface elements that appear to be part of the legitimate Rational application but are actually controlled by the attacker. This occurs because the affected systems lack proper anti-clickjacking controls such as X-Frame-Options headers or Content Security Policy directives that would prevent the application from being embedded in external web pages. The vulnerability specifically affects the web-based user interfaces of these Rational products, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where authorized users regularly access these tools through web browsers.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-1928 extends beyond simple user inconvenience to potentially serious security consequences for enterprise development environments. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to perform unauthorized actions such as creating or modifying work items, accessing restricted data, or manipulating project configurations within the Rational applications. In a typical attack scenario, an authenticated user might be tricked into clicking on seemingly benign elements on a malicious website while actually interacting with the Rational application interface that has been overlaid in a hidden frame. This could result in unauthorized changes to software requirements, test cases, or project timelines, potentially compromising the integrity of critical development processes. The vulnerability particularly threatens organizations using these Rational tools for managing software development lifecycles, as it could enable attackers to manipulate project data and potentially disrupt development workflows.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigation strategies to protect their Rational application environments. The primary recommended approach involves implementing proper HTTP headers including X-Frame-Options with the SAMEORIGIN value or Content Security Policy directives that prevent the application from being embedded in external frames. Additionally, administrators should ensure that all affected Rational products are updated to the latest available patches, specifically targeting the versions mentioned in the CVE description where fixes are available. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious framing attempts, as well as conducting user awareness training to help identify potentially malicious websites that might attempt to exploit this vulnerability. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the applied security measures to ensure they do not inadvertently break legitimate functionality while effectively blocking the clickjacking attack vectors. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-1021, which specifically addresses insufficient protection against clickjacking attacks, and represents a significant concern for enterprise security teams managing development lifecycle management platforms.