CVE-2017-1275 in Rational Quality Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Rational Quality Manager and IBM Rational Collaborative Lifecycle Management 5.0 through 5.0.2 and 6.0 through 6.0.5 are 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: 124750.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1275 affects IBM Rational Quality Manager and IBM Rational Collaborative Lifecycle Management versions 5.0 through 5.0.2 and 6.0 through 6.0.5, representing a critical cross-site scripting flaw that compromises the security integrity of these enterprise quality management platforms. This vulnerability resides in the web user interface components where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered back to other users. The flaw enables malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code through crafted input fields or parameters, exploiting the inherent trust relationship between users and the application.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web application's rendering pipeline. When legitimate users interact with the application's web interface, their input data flows through processing pathways that fail to adequately sanitize potentially malicious content. This weakness falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities where improper validation of input data allows execution of malicious scripts in the context of a victim's browser session. The vulnerability's exploitation pathway involves crafting malicious payloads that, when processed by the application, get executed in the browsers of other users who encounter the contaminated content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, creating significant risks for enterprise environments where sensitive quality management data resides. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can manipulate the application's behavior to steal session cookies, credentials, or other sensitive information from authenticated users within the trusted session. This capability represents a severe threat to the confidentiality and integrity of quality management processes, potentially compromising test results, defect tracking data, and collaboration information that organizations rely upon for software development lifecycle management. The vulnerability particularly affects collaborative environments where multiple stakeholders interact with shared quality data, amplifying the potential damage from a single successful attack.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of input validation controls and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's web interface components. Organizations should implement comprehensive content security policies that prevent execution of unauthorized scripts and ensure proper sanitization of all user-supplied input before processing or display. The recommended remediation includes applying the vendor-provided patches and updates that address the specific input validation gaps in the affected IBM Rational products. Additionally, security teams should consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring systems that can detect and prevent suspicious script injection attempts. According to the ATT&CK framework's methodology for web application attacks, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving script injection and credential theft, making it essential for organizations to strengthen their application security posture through proper input validation and secure coding practices. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their collaborative platforms to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of their software development lifecycle infrastructure.