CVE-2016-6047 in Jazz Reporting Service
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Jazz Reporting Service (JRS) is vulnerable to cross-site scripting. This vulnerability allows users to embed arbitrary JavaScript code in the Web UI thus altering the intended functionality potentially leading to credentials disclosure within a trusted session.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6047 affects IBM Jazz Reporting Service, a component within the IBM Rational Team Concert platform that provides reporting capabilities for software development teams. This security flaw represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability that fundamentally compromises the integrity of the web-based user interface. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the JRS web application, allowing malicious actors to inject malicious JavaScript code through user-controllable input fields or parameters. The affected system operates within a trusted session context where users have legitimate access privileges, making the potential impact significantly more severe than typical XSS vulnerabilities that might only affect unauthenticated users.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input that gets processed and rendered back to other users within the web interface without proper sanitization. This creates a persistent XSS vector where the injected JavaScript code executes within the victim's browser context, potentially capturing session cookies, credentials, or other sensitive information. The vulnerability specifically impacts the web user interface components of JRS, which are designed to display reports and data generated from software development processes. When users view reports or interact with web forms within the JRS environment, the malicious code executes in their browser, potentially enabling session hijacking attacks and unauthorized access to the system. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-6047 extends beyond simple data theft, as it can lead to complete system compromise when attackers leverage the persistent nature of the vulnerability. An attacker with access to the reporting service can manipulate the web interface to steal authentication tokens, session identifiers, and potentially escalate privileges within the trusted environment. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects users who are already authenticated within the system, meaning that successful exploitation can result in privilege escalation attacks where attackers gain access to sensitive project data, administrative functions, or other resources that require legitimate user credentials. This makes the vulnerability especially dangerous in enterprise environments where the Jazz Reporting Service is used for critical development and project management activities.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability, beginning with immediate patching of affected systems to address the root cause of the XSS flaw. Input validation and output encoding mechanisms must be strengthened to prevent malicious code injection, while implementing proper Content Security Policy headers can limit the execution of unauthorized scripts within the browser context. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the broader IBM Rational Team Concert ecosystem. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and input sanitization, particularly in web applications that handle sensitive data and user interactions. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring systems to detect and prevent exploitation attempts, while ensuring that all users receive security awareness training to recognize potential social engineering attacks that might leverage this vulnerability. This type of vulnerability is often categorized under the ATT&CK framework as part of the credential access techniques, specifically targeting session management and authentication mechanisms that are critical for maintaining system security.