CVE-2018-1522 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: 141803.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
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 stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's web framework, allowing malicious actors to inject malicious JavaScript code through user input fields or parameters. The flaw specifically affects the web user interface components where user-supplied data is rendered without proper sanitization, creating an environment where attackers can execute arbitrary scripts in the context of authenticated users' sessions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws where untrusted data is directly included in web pages without proper validation or encoding. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious input that gets stored or reflected in the application's interface, subsequently executing JavaScript code when other users view the affected content. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates within the trusted session context, meaning that any credentials or sensitive information accessible to the victim's browser session could potentially be extracted by the malicious code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform session hijacking, credential theft, and privilege escalation within the RQM environment. When authenticated users interact with maliciously crafted content, the JavaScript code can access session cookies, form data, and other sensitive information that the browser maintains for the authenticated session. This creates a significant risk for organizations using RQM for quality management and testing processes, as attackers could gain access to test data, user credentials, and potentially escalate their privileges within the application. The vulnerability also undermines the integrity of the quality management processes by allowing attackers to manipulate test results and execution data.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding controls to prevent malicious script injection, along with regular security updates and patches provided by IBM. The remediation strategy should incorporate web application firewall rules to filter suspicious input patterns and ensure that all user-supplied data undergoes proper sanitization before being rendered in the user interface. Additionally, implementing content security policies and disabling unnecessary JavaScript functionality can significantly reduce the attack surface. Security teams should also conduct regular penetration testing and vulnerability assessments to identify similar weaknesses in the broader application ecosystem and maintain comprehensive monitoring for suspicious activities within the RQM environment. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure coding practices and input validation in enterprise web applications, particularly those handling sensitive business data and user credentials.