CVE-2015-7485 in Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager 3.0 before 3.0.1.6 iFix7 Interim Fix 1, 4.0 before 4.0.7 iFix10, 5.0 before 5.0.2 iFix15, and 6.0 before 6.0.1 iFix4 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors. IBM X-Force ID: 108626.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/30/2021
The CVE-2015-7485 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager (RELIM) across multiple version ranges including 3.0 through 6.0. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting and specifically manifests as a remote code execution vector that enables attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content into the application. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the lifecycle management platform, which is widely used for software development process management and collaboration. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's web interface components, creating persistent XSS attack surfaces that can be exploited by remote threat actors without requiring authentication or privileged access.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through unspecified vectors within the application's user input handling processes, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that execute in the context of other users' browsers. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where RELIM is used for managing sensitive development artifacts, requirements, and project data. The attack surface encompasses various user interaction points including form fields, URL parameters, and potentially API endpoints that process user-provided data. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.008 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell and T1566.001 for Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers could leverage the XSS to deliver malicious payloads or redirect users to compromised sites. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that RELIM is typically used in development environments where users frequently interact with the system, increasing the potential attack surface and exploitation opportunities.
Organizations utilizing IBM Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager versions affected by CVE-2015-7485 face significant operational risks including potential data exfiltration, session hijacking, and unauthorized access to sensitive development information. The vulnerability could enable attackers to execute malicious scripts that capture user credentials, monitor user activities, or manipulate project data within the application. The impact extends beyond simple script injection as it can compromise the integrity of the entire development lifecycle management process, potentially affecting code quality, project timelines, and security posture of organizations relying on the platform. The vulnerability affects both administrative and regular user accounts, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where the application serves as a central hub for development collaboration and project tracking. Security teams must consider the potential for cascading effects where compromised user sessions could lead to unauthorized access to source code repositories, build systems, or other integrated development tools within the enterprise ecosystem.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability include applying the vendor-supplied iFixes and interim fixes as outlined in the advisory, specifically targeting the mentioned version ranges and their respective patch levels. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding measures to prevent malicious script injection, including implementing Content Security Policy headers and proper HTML escaping mechanisms. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, though they should not be considered as primary remediation strategies. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the application ecosystem and ensure that proper security controls are in place. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing robust software update procedures within enterprise environments, as this issue demonstrates how legacy versions of development tools can remain vulnerable to exploitation for extended periods. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious user behavior patterns and anomalous script execution within the application environment, as these could indicate exploitation attempts.