CVE-2016-9973 in Jazz Foundation
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Jazz Foundation 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. IBM X-Force ID: 120209.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/27/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-9973 affects IBM Jazz Foundation, a collaborative software development platform that provides integrated tools for agile development and project management. This particular weakness represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability that compromises the web interface of the application. The flaw exists within the web user interface components of the Jazz Foundation platform, making it susceptible to malicious script injection attacks that can manipulate user interactions and data handling within the application environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the web application's user interface components. When users interact with the platform's web interface, the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it back to the browser. This inadequate sanitization allows malicious actors to inject malicious JavaScript code through various input fields, form submissions, or URL parameters that are subsequently executed in the context of other users' sessions. The vulnerability specifically impacts the web UI layer where user-generated content is displayed, creating an environment where attackers can manipulate the intended functionality of the application.
The operational impact of this cross-site scripting vulnerability extends beyond simple interface manipulation to potentially compromise user sessions and sensitive data. When successful, the vulnerability enables attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of authenticated user sessions, which can lead to credential theft, session hijacking, and unauthorized access to sensitive project data. The threat is particularly concerning because it operates within a trusted session environment where users have legitimate access rights to the application. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, capture user credentials, or redirect users to malicious sites that appear legitimate within the trusted application environment. This type of attack aligns with the attack pattern described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the 'Cross-site Scripting' technique, specifically targeting the web application layer and session management components.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the web application's user interface components. Organizations should deploy proper content security policies that restrict script execution and implement strict sanitization of all user inputs before rendering them in the web interface. The solution should include implementing proper encoding mechanisms such as HTML entity encoding, JavaScript escaping, and proper input validation that rejects or removes potentially malicious content. Additionally, the application should enforce secure session management practices including the use of secure cookies, proper session timeout mechanisms, and regular session token rotation. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')", which emphasizes the critical need for proper input validation and output encoding in web applications. Organizations should also implement regular security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in their web applications and ensure that all user-supplied content is properly sanitized before being processed or displayed.