CVE-2016-8974 in Rhapsody DM
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Rhapsody DM 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0 is vulnerable to a denial of service, caused by an XML External Entity Injection (XXE) error when processing XML data. A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to expose highly sensitive information or consume all available memory resources. IBM Reference #: 1997798.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/02/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-8974 affects IBM Rational Rhapsody Data Modeler versions 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0, representing a critical security flaw that exposes organizations to significant operational risks. This vulnerability stems from an XML External Entity Injection (XXE) weakness within the application's XML processing capabilities, specifically when handling XML data inputs. The flaw allows malicious actors to manipulate the system's XML parser behavior through crafted input sequences that reference external resources or entities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the Data Modeler application processes XML files without proper input validation or sanitization of external entity references. When an XML document contains external entity declarations that reference network resources or system files, the parser may attempt to resolve these references, leading to unintended resource consumption or information disclosure. This particular weakness falls under CWE-611, which specifically addresses Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference, a classification that directly maps to the XXE attack pattern. The vulnerability's exploitation can result in catastrophic consequences including memory exhaustion through recursive entity references or unauthorized access to internal system resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, creating a complex threat landscape for organizations using IBM Rhapsody DM. Remote attackers can leverage this weakness to consume all available memory resources through recursive XML entity expansion, effectively causing system crashes or making the application unavailable to legitimate users. Additionally, the vulnerability enables information disclosure attacks where attackers can access sensitive files or system information by referencing external entities that point to local resources. This dual nature of the vulnerability makes it particularly dangerous as it simultaneously creates availability issues while potentially exposing confidential data.
Organizations utilizing affected versions of IBM Rhapsody DM should prioritize immediate remediation through official IBM patches and updates, as the vulnerability represents a high-severity threat that can be exploited remotely without authentication. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive input validation for all XML processing components, implementing strict XML parser configurations that disable external entity resolution, and establishing network segmentation to limit potential attack vectors. Security teams should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect unusual XML processing patterns or memory consumption spikes that may indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002, which covers Data from Information Repositories, and T1499.004, which addresses Network Denial of Service, demonstrating the multi-faceted threat landscape this vulnerability creates for enterprise environments. The IBM reference number 1997798 indicates that this vulnerability was properly documented and addressed through official security patches, emphasizing the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions to protect against known exploits.