CVE-2017-1241 in Jazz Foundation
Summary
by MITRE
An unspecified vulnerability in IBM Jazz Foundation based applications might allow the display of stack trace information to an attacker. IBM X-Force ID: 124523.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/20/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1241 affects IBM Jazz Foundation based applications, representing a critical information disclosure flaw that could potentially expose sensitive system information to unauthorized parties. This vulnerability resides within the foundational framework that supports various IBM collaborative software solutions, including Rational Team Concert and other Jazz-based platforms that rely on the underlying foundation for their operational integrity. The specific nature of the flaw involves the improper handling of error conditions that results in stack trace information being inadvertently displayed to attackers who may have gained access to the application through various attack vectors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate error handling mechanisms within the IBM Jazz Foundation components. When certain error conditions occur during application processing, the system fails to properly sanitize the error output before presenting it to users or external systems. This misconfiguration allows stack trace details to be exposed, potentially revealing critical information about the application architecture, internal code structure, and system configurations. The stack trace information could include file paths, method names, line numbers, and potentially sensitive environmental variables that would aid attackers in understanding the application's internal workings and identifying additional attack surfaces.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for organizations utilizing IBM Jazz Foundation based applications, as the exposure of stack trace information provides attackers with valuable reconnaissance data. The leaked information could enable more sophisticated attacks by allowing threat actors to identify specific software versions, internal system structures, and potential weaknesses within the application architecture. This information disclosure could facilitate subsequent exploitation attempts, including but not limited to injection attacks, privilege escalation, or further reconnaissance activities targeting other components within the same ecosystem. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond immediate security concerns, as it can compromise the overall security posture of organizations relying on these collaborative platforms.
Organizations should implement comprehensive mitigation strategies addressing this vulnerability through multiple layers of protection. The primary remediation approach involves applying the official IBM patches and updates released for the affected Jazz Foundation components, which typically include enhanced error handling mechanisms and improved input validation. Additionally, system administrators should configure application-level error handling to prevent stack trace information from being displayed to end users or external systems, implementing proper logging mechanisms that capture error details internally while maintaining user-friendly error messages for end users. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems should be configured to monitor for potential exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-209, which addresses the improper handling of exceptions and error conditions, and represents a significant concern within the ATT&CK framework under the reconnaissance and privilege escalation categories, as the information disclosure can facilitate more advanced attack techniques. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments to identify any other potentially affected systems within their ecosystem that might be leveraging the same vulnerable foundation components.