CVE-2018-1404 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: 138440.
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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 flaw 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 or sanitize user input before incorporating it into web pages served to other users. The flaw specifically manifests when the application processes user-supplied data without adequate sanitization mechanisms, allowing malicious actors to inject malicious JavaScript code through various input vectors within the RQM web interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited to compromise user sessions and steal sensitive credentials. When a victim user visits a page containing the malicious script, the JavaScript code executes within their browser context, potentially capturing session cookies, login credentials, or other sensitive information transmitted during the user's interaction with the application. This type of attack aligns with ATT&CK technique T1539 which describes credentials harvesting through web browsers, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where RQM is used for quality management and test case tracking.
The vulnerability's exploitation potential is heightened by the nature of RQM's functionality as a quality management platform where users frequently enter data, create test cases, and interact with various web forms and input fields. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that persist in the application's database or user interface elements, ensuring that any user who views the affected content becomes a victim of the script execution. This persistence mechanism makes the vulnerability particularly insidious as it can remain active for extended periods without detection, especially in environments where multiple users regularly interact with the platform.
Organizations utilizing affected RQM versions should immediately implement mitigations including input validation and output encoding controls to prevent malicious script injection. The recommended approach involves implementing comprehensive sanitization of all user-supplied input data before processing or display, combined with proper content security policies that restrict script execution within the application's web interface. Additionally, regular security updates and patches from IBM should be applied immediately upon availability to address the underlying vulnerability. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns of user activity that might indicate credential harvesting attempts, and access controls should be strengthened to limit the scope of potential damage from successful exploitation attempts.