CVE-2018-1560 in Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager 5.0 through 5.02 and 6.0 through 6.0.6 is 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: 142958.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1560 affects IBM Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager versions 5.0 through 5.02 and 6.0 through 6.0.6, representing a critical cross-site scripting vulnerability that compromises the security of web-based interfaces. This flaw exists within the application's web user interface where user input is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered back to other users. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms that fail to adequately filter malicious JavaScript code entered by attackers into web forms or parameters within the application's interface.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows an attacker to inject malicious JavaScript code through various input points within the Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager web interface. When legitimate users view pages containing the injected content, the malicious script executes in their browser context, potentially enabling session hijacking, credential theft, or data manipulation. The vulnerability specifically targets the web UI components where user-provided data is displayed without proper sanitization, creating an environment where attacker-controlled code can execute with the privileges of authenticated users. This cross-site scripting flaw operates at the application layer and can be exploited through various attack vectors including crafted URLs, form submissions, or even through manipulated parameters in API calls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass complete session compromise and potential unauthorized access to sensitive engineering data and development resources. When attackers successfully exploit this vulnerability, they can steal session cookies or authentication tokens, allowing them to impersonate legitimate users within the Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager environment. This poses significant risks to intellectual property, development processes, and sensitive project information stored within the system. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on this tool for managing software development lifecycles, where the compromise of engineering data could result in severe operational disruptions and security breaches.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates released for this vulnerability, which address the input validation deficiencies in the web interface components. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection by monitoring and filtering malicious traffic patterns associated with XSS attacks. Regular security assessments should be conducted to identify other potential injection points within the application, and input validation mechanisms should be strengthened across all web interfaces. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and represents a technique commonly categorized under ATT&CK tactic TA0001 (Initial Access) through the use of malicious web content to establish footholds within target environments. Implementation of Content Security Policy headers and proper output encoding in web applications can further reduce the attack surface and prevent successful exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the future.