CVE-2018-1395 in Rational Quality Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Rational Quality Manager (RQM) 5.0 through 5.02 and 6.0 through 6.0.6 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: 138427.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2023
IBM Rational Quality Manager versions 5.0 through 5.02 and 6.0 through 6.0.6 contain a cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a critical security weakness in the web-based user interface. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, where the application fails to properly validate and sanitize user input before rendering it in the web interface. The flaw specifically affects the way the system processes and displays user-supplied data, creating an opportunity for malicious actors to inject malicious JavaScript code into the application's web pages.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows attackers to craft specially formatted input that gets executed within the context of other users' browser sessions. When a victim visits a page containing the malicious script, the code executes in their browser with the privileges of their authenticated session. This creates a dangerous scenario where attackers can potentially steal session cookies, credentials, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability specifically targets the web user interface components where user input is directly rendered without proper sanitization, making it particularly dangerous in collaborative testing environments where multiple users interact with shared test data and results.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity of the authentication and authorization mechanisms within IBM Rational Quality Manager. Attackers exploiting this weakness could gain unauthorized access to sensitive test data, manipulate test results, or even escalate privileges within the system. The vulnerability's presence in both version 5.0 and 6.0 series indicates a widespread issue affecting the core web application functionality, potentially exposing organizations to data breaches and compliance violations. The risk is particularly elevated in environments where the application handles confidential test cases, defect reports, or other sensitive quality management data that could be accessed by unauthorized parties.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates, implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms, and configuring web application firewalls to detect and block malicious script payloads. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, where adversaries leverage web-based scripting to execute malicious code. Additional defensive measures should include regular security assessments of web applications, user education about phishing and social engineering attacks, and monitoring for suspicious activities within the RQM environment. Network segmentation and privileged access controls can help limit the potential damage if an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, while comprehensive logging and audit trails should be maintained to detect unauthorized access attempts.