CVE-2017-1294 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: 125155.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1294 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 vulnerability that compromises the security integrity of web-based applications. This flaw exists within the web user interface components of these enterprise quality management platforms, which are widely used in software development lifecycle processes for requirement management, test planning, and quality assurance activities. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it within the web interface. Attackers can exploit this weakness by injecting malicious JavaScript code through various input fields, form submissions, or URL parameters that are not adequately filtered or escaped, allowing them to execute arbitrary code within the context of a victim's browser session.
The technical exploitation of this cross-site scripting vulnerability enables attackers to manipulate the intended functionality of the web application by injecting malicious scripts that can capture user credentials, session tokens, or other sensitive information transmitted within trusted sessions. This particular vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a critical security weakness in web applications where user-controllable data is not properly sanitized before being rendered to other users. The impact extends beyond simple data theft as the injected JavaScript can perform actions such as stealing cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, modifying page content, or even performing unauthorized operations within the application on behalf of authenticated users. Given that these IBM products are typically used in enterprise environments where sensitive development data, project requirements, and quality metrics are stored, the potential for damage is significant, especially when attackers can leverage session hijacking techniques to gain persistent access to privileged accounts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is particularly severe in environments where these IBM Rational products are extensively deployed across development teams and quality assurance processes. Organizations using these platforms may experience unauthorized access to sensitive project data, compromised testing environments, and potential disruption to development workflows. The vulnerability's exploitation can lead to credential disclosure within trusted sessions, meaning that attackers who successfully inject malicious scripts can potentially access the same resources and permissions that legitimate users possess, including access to confidential requirement specifications, test cases, and quality metrics. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in regulated environments where compliance with standards such as ISO 27001 or industry-specific regulations requires maintaining strict controls over access to sensitive information. The attack surface is broad as the vulnerability can be exploited through multiple vectors including user input fields, URL parameters, and potentially even through the application's web services if proper input validation is not implemented across all interfaces.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the latest available patches from IBM that address the cross-site scripting weakness through proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The recommended approach involves applying the security updates provided by IBM which typically include enhanced sanitization of user inputs and improved HTML encoding for output rendering. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities, deploying content security policies to restrict script execution, and conducting regular security assessments of the web application interfaces can provide additional layers of protection. Security teams should also consider implementing strict input validation at multiple layers including client-side and server-side controls, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being processed or stored within the application. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Scripting indicates that attackers may leverage this weakness as part of broader exploitation chains, making comprehensive security measures essential for protecting enterprise development environments that rely on these critical quality management platforms.