CVE-2015-7449 in Rational Collaborative Lifecycle Management
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Rational Collaborative Lifecycle Management (CLM) 4.0.x before 4.0.7 iFix10, 5.0.x before 5.0.2 iFix15, 6.0.x before 6.0.1 iFix5, and 6.0.2 before iFix2; Rational Quality Manager (RQM) 4.0.x before 4.0.7 iFix10, 5.0.x before 5.0.2 iFix15, 6.0.x before 6.0.1 iFix5, and 6.0.2 before iFix2; Rational Team Concert (RTC) 4.0.x before 4.0.7 iFix10, 5.0.x before 5.0.2 iFix15, 6.0.x before 6.0.1 iFix5, and 6.0.2 before iFix2; Rational Requirements Composer (RRC) 4.0.x before 4.0.7 iFix10; Rational DOORS Next Generation (RDNG) 4.0.x before 4.0.7 iFix10, 5.0.x before 5.0.2 iFix15, 6.0.x before 6.0.1 iFix5, and 6.0.2 before iFix2; Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager (RELM) 4.0.3, 4.0.4, 4.0.5, 4.0.6, 4.0.7 before iFix1, 5.0.x before 5.0.2 iFix1, and 6.0.x before 6.0.2; Rational Rhapsody Design Manager (Rhapsody DM) 4.0.x before 4.0.7 iFix10, 5.0.x before 5.0.2 iFix15, 6.0.x before 6.0.1 iFix5, and 6.0.2 before iFix2; Rational Software Architect Design Manager (RSA DM) 4.0.x before 4.0.7 iFix10, 5.0.x before 5.0.2 iFix15, 6.0.x before 6.0.1 iFix5, and 6.0.2 before iFix2 allow local users to obtain sensitive information by leveraging weak encryption. IBM X-Force ID: 108221.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/05/2021
This vulnerability affects multiple IBM Rational products including Collaborative Lifecycle Management CLM, Quality Manager RQM, Team Concert RTC, Requirements Composer RRC, DOORS Next Generation RDNG, Engineering Lifecycle Manager RELM, Rhapsody Design Manager Rhapsody DM, and RSA Design Manager RSA DM. The issue stems from weak encryption implementations that allow local users to extract sensitive information from the affected systems. The vulnerability specifically impacts versions prior to designated iFix releases, indicating that IBM had identified and addressed the cryptographic weaknesses in subsequent patches. This type of information disclosure vulnerability represents a significant security concern for organizations relying on these enterprise lifecycle management tools.
The technical flaw involves inadequate encryption mechanisms that fail to properly protect sensitive data within the applications. Local users can exploit this weakness to access information that should remain confidential, potentially including authentication credentials, system configurations, or proprietary business data. The vulnerability's classification aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-327, which addresses broken or weak cryptographic algorithms, and CWE-310, which covers cryptographic issues. The exploitation requires local system access, making it a privilege escalation or information disclosure issue rather than a remote attack vector, though the implications remain severe for systems where local access is possible.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it can compromise the integrity of entire development and lifecycle management processes. Organizations using these tools may face unauthorized access to critical project information, potentially affecting intellectual property, security configurations, and business-sensitive data. The vulnerability affects multiple generations of IBM Rational products, indicating a systemic issue within the cryptographic implementations across these platforms. This widespread impact suggests that the weakness was present in core components rather than isolated modules, making the remediation efforts more extensive and requiring coordinated patching across multiple product lines.
Organizations should immediately apply the relevant iFix updates provided by IBM to address this vulnerability, particularly focusing on the specific version ranges mentioned in the CVE description. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive testing of patches in non-production environments before deployment to ensure compatibility with existing workflows. Security teams should conduct thorough assessments of systems to identify any remaining vulnerable installations, as the vulnerability affects multiple IBM Rational products across various version branches. Additionally, organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit local system access, reducing the attack surface for potential exploitation. Monitoring for unauthorized local access attempts and implementing proper audit logging can help detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining current security patches and highlights the need for robust cryptographic implementations in enterprise software systems, particularly those handling sensitive business and development data.