CVE-2016-5897 in Jazz Reporting Service
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Jazz Reporting Service (JRS) is vulnerable to HTML injection. A remote attacker could inject malicious HTML code, which when viewed, would be executed in the victim's Web browser within the security context of the hosting site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5897 affects IBM Jazz Reporting Service, a component within IBM's collaborative software development platform that provides reporting capabilities for agile development teams. This security flaw represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability that undermines the fundamental security principles of web application development. The vulnerability exists within the reporting service's handling of user-supplied input, specifically when processing HTML content that should be rendered within the application's user interface. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious HTML payloads that get stored and subsequently executed when legitimate users view the reports, creating a persistent threat vector that can compromise user sessions and data integrity.
This HTML injection vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The vulnerability operates by allowing untrusted input to be processed and rendered without proper sanitization or encoding, enabling attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute within the victim's browser context. The security implications are significant because the injected HTML code runs with the privileges and permissions of the hosting site, potentially allowing attackers to steal session cookies, modify page content, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The attack vector is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where JRS is used for collaborative reporting, as it can compromise sensitive project data and development information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can facilitate more sophisticated attacks within the enterprise environment. When attackers successfully inject HTML code, they can leverage the trusted relationship between the victim's browser and the JRS application to perform session hijacking, data exfiltration, or establish persistent backdoors within the development infrastructure. The vulnerability is particularly concerning for organizations using IBM Jazz for agile development processes, as it can compromise the integrity of project reports and potentially provide attackers with access to sensitive development artifacts, requirements documents, or other confidential information. The attack requires minimal technical expertise to exploit, making it a preferred target for both skilled and less experienced attackers seeking to gain unauthorized access to development environments.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability, including input validation and output encoding mechanisms that sanitize all user-supplied content before rendering. The recommended remediation involves upgrading to the patched version of IBM Jazz Reporting Service that includes proper HTML sanitization and content security policies. Security measures should also include implementing strict content security policy headers to prevent unauthorized script execution, regular security assessments of web applications, and comprehensive user education regarding the risks of clicking on untrusted links or content within collaborative environments. Additionally, network monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and access controls should be strengthened to limit the potential impact of successful attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output encoding in web applications, aligning with the ATT&CK framework's methodology for identifying and mitigating web-based attack vectors that leverage client-side execution contexts.