CVE-2016-9989 in Jazz Foundation Reporting Service
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Jazz Foundation Reporting Service (JRS) 5.0 and 6.0 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: 120555.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-9989 affects IBM Jazz Foundation Reporting Service versions 5.0 and 6.0, representing a critical cross-site scripting flaw that undermines the security integrity of the web-based user interface. This vulnerability resides within the reporting service component of IBM's jazz foundation platform, which is commonly used for collaborative software development and project management activities. The flaw enables malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the web application's response, effectively compromising the application's intended behavior and user experience.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the JRS web interface. When users interact with the reporting service, the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamic web content. This inadequate sanitization creates an opening for attackers to craft malicious payloads that execute within the context of authenticated user sessions. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the application processes user input through reporting parameters, search functions, or any interactive elements that display user-generated content without proper HTML escaping or context-appropriate encoding mechanisms.
The operational impact of this cross-site scripting vulnerability extends beyond simple UI manipulation, as it creates opportunities for session hijacking and credential theft within trusted browser sessions. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can execute JavaScript code that accesses session cookies, form data, or other sensitive information that the authenticated user might have entered or that the application might be displaying. The attack vector typically involves crafting malicious input that, when processed by the vulnerable JRS service, gets rendered as executable JavaScript within the victim's browser. This allows for potential data exfiltration, unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the victim, and establishment of persistent access mechanisms within the compromised session.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79 - Cross-site Scripting and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 - Phishing via Social Media, as attackers can leverage this flaw to create convincing phishing campaigns that appear legitimate within the trusted application environment. The vulnerability also relates to ATT&CK technique T1071.004 - Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols, as it exploits weaknesses in web application protocols and interfaces. Organizations using affected versions of IBM Jazz Foundation Reporting Service face significant risk of unauthorized access and data compromise, particularly in environments where users have elevated privileges or access to sensitive project information.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of affected IBM Jazz Foundation Reporting Service installations to the latest available security updates from IBM. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation mechanisms, deploy web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads, and establish strict output encoding practices for all user-supplied content. Additionally, security awareness training for developers and administrators can help prevent similar issues in custom applications, while network segmentation and monitoring solutions can detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in related systems and applications within the organization's attack surface.