CVE-2015-7486 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: 108633.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/30/2021
The CVE-2015-7486 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager (RELIM) versions ranging from 3.0 through 6.0. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting and specifically impacts the web-based interfaces of the software suite that manages software development lifecycle processes. The affected versions include multiple major releases of IBM RELIM, indicating a widespread exposure across the product line that serves organizations in software engineering and project management domains. The vulnerability exists in the web application layer of these products, making it accessible to remote attackers who can exploit it through various unspecified attack vectors.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's response, which then executes in the context of other users' browsers. This type of injection occurs when user-supplied input is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered in web pages. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, deface web pages, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple entry points within the application's web interface could serve as attack surfaces, including form inputs, URL parameters, or API endpoints that process user data.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations using IBM RELIM for managing software development projects and engineering processes. The attack surface includes any user who interacts with the web interface, potentially compromising the integrity of development data, source code repositories, and project documentation. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive engineering information, manipulate project timelines, or disrupt development workflows. The impact is particularly concerning for organizations that rely on RELIM for managing critical software development projects, as the vulnerability could be exploited to compromise the entire development lifecycle management process. The attack vector requires no special privileges, making it accessible to anyone who can interact with the affected web application.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided iFixes and patches for each affected version, with specific attention to the mentioned release versions. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional protective layers, while input validation and output encoding should be enforced at all application entry points. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in user interactions that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-79 underscores the need for comprehensive secure coding practices and regular security assessments of web applications. Organizations should also consider implementing the principle of least privilege and ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to the affected systems. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for initial access through web application attacks and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage, highlighting the multi-stage nature of potential exploitation scenarios.