CVE-2016-6060 in Rational Doors Next Generation
Summary
by MITRE
An undisclosed vulnerability in IBM Rational DOORS Next Generation 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0 could allow a JazzGuest user to see project names. IBM Reference #: 1995547.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/15/2020
This vulnerability represents a significant information disclosure issue within IBM Rational DOORS Next Generation software versions 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0. The flaw specifically affects JazzGuest user accounts, which are typically designated as low-privilege or anonymous access accounts within the Jazz-based collaboration platform. The vulnerability allows these restricted users to access project names that should normally be restricted to authorized personnel only. This represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege and could enable unauthorized individuals to gather intelligence about organizational projects and potentially identify targets for further exploitation. The issue stems from inadequate access controls and authorization mechanisms within the application's user management system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under the category of improper access control as classified by CWE-284, where the system fails to properly enforce access restrictions for different user roles. The JazzGuest account, designed to provide minimal access for external collaborators or unauthenticated users, demonstrates a critical flaw in the authorization model. This allows the guest user to bypass normal access controls and retrieve project names that are typically protected by more stringent permission requirements. The vulnerability likely exists in the application's API endpoints or user interface components that handle project listing and display functions, where proper authentication checks are either missing or incorrectly implemented.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations using IBM Rational DOORS Next Generation. The disclosure of project names provides attackers with valuable reconnaissance information that could be used to plan targeted attacks against specific projects or organizations. Even though the vulnerability only exposes project names and not sensitive project data or code, this information can still be leveraged for social engineering attacks, competitive intelligence gathering, or as a stepping stone for more sophisticated exploitation attempts. The exposure of project names may reveal organizational structure, business priorities, or sensitive project information that could be valuable to competitors or malicious actors.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability should involve immediate patching of affected IBM Rational DOORS Next Generation installations to the latest available security updates from IBM. Organizations should also review and strengthen their access control policies for guest accounts, ensuring that these accounts have minimal necessary permissions and that all user access is properly audited. Implementation of additional monitoring controls around project access attempts and user activity logs can help detect unauthorized access patterns. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of these systems to untrusted networks. This vulnerability highlights the importance of comprehensive access control testing and regular security assessments of collaboration platforms to ensure that all user roles maintain appropriate isolation and privilege levels. The issue demonstrates how seemingly minor access control flaws can create significant security implications in enterprise collaboration environments.