CVE-2017-1715 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: 134637.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2023
This vulnerability 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 web application security. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web user interface components, allowing malicious actors to inject malicious JavaScript code through user-controllable input fields. The flaw specifically manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages, creating an environment where attackers can execute arbitrary scripts in the context of authenticated users' sessions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows standard XSS attack patterns where an attacker crafts malicious payloads that get executed when other users view affected web pages. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79 as "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')", which is a fundamental web application security weakness that has been consistently identified as one of the most prevalent security flaws in web applications. The attack vector typically involves embedding malicious JavaScript within form fields, URL parameters, or other user-controllable input areas that are subsequently displayed without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can lead to complete session hijacking and credential theft within trusted sessions. When authenticated users interact with compromised web pages, their browser sessions become vulnerable to manipulation by attackers who can extract session cookies, authentication tokens, or other sensitive information. This creates a significant risk for enterprise environments where quality management and lifecycle collaboration tools are extensively used, as these systems often contain sensitive project data, test results, and configuration information that could be accessed by unauthorized parties. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript' and T1531 for 'Account Access Removal', as it enables attackers to establish persistent access and potentially escalate privileges within the application environment.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and Content Security Policy implementations to prevent script injection attacks. The recommended approach involves deploying web application firewalls, implementing proper input sanitization mechanisms, and ensuring that all user-controllable data is properly escaped before rendering in web contexts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing strict session management policies, regular security assessments, and comprehensive user education to reduce the risk of successful exploitation. IBM has released patches and updates to address this vulnerability, and organizations should prioritize applying these security fixes to maintain application integrity and protect against potential credential theft and session hijacking attacks.