CVE-2018-1585 in Rational Rhapsody Design Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Rational Rhapsody Design Manager 5.0 through 5.0.2 and 6.0 through 6.0.5 and IBM Rational Software Architect Design Manager 5.0 through 5.0.2 and 6.0 through 6.0.1 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: 143498.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/18/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1585 affects IBM Rational Rhapsody Design Manager and IBM Rational Software Architect Design Manager versions spanning multiple release branches. This cross-site scripting vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of web-based application interfaces. The affected products are part of IBM's enterprise modeling and design management solutions, which are widely used in software development lifecycle processes. The vulnerability exists within the web user interface components of these applications, creating an attack surface that can be exploited by malicious actors to manipulate application behavior and compromise user sessions.
The technical flaw manifests as a failure to properly sanitize user input within the web interface of these design management tools. When users interact with the web-based components of the applications, the system does not adequately validate or escape JavaScript code that might be embedded in input fields or parameters. This allows an attacker to inject malicious scripts that execute within the context of other users' sessions. The vulnerability specifically impacts the web UI rendering mechanisms, where unvalidated input is directly incorporated into dynamic web content without proper security controls. According to CWE classification, this represents a CWE-79: Cross-site Scripting vulnerability, which is categorized as a code injection flaw that enables attackers to execute scripts in the victim's browser.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it creates opportunities for session hijacking and credential theft. When malicious JavaScript code executes within a user's browser session, it can capture authentication tokens, cookies, and other sensitive session data. This allows attackers to potentially impersonate legitimate users and gain unauthorized access to design management systems containing proprietary software architecture information. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates within trusted session contexts, meaning that compromised sessions can access data that would normally be restricted to authorized users. The attack vector typically involves sending malicious payloads through web forms, URL parameters, or other input mechanisms that are processed by the vulnerable applications. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531: Account Access Removal and T1078: Valid Accounts, as attackers can leverage compromised sessions to maintain persistent access to enterprise design environments.
Organizations using these affected versions should implement immediate mitigations to address the cross-site scripting vulnerability. The most effective approach involves upgrading to patched versions of the affected software releases, as IBM has likely released security updates addressing this specific flaw. Network-based mitigations such as web application firewalls can provide additional protection by filtering suspicious input patterns and preventing script injection attempts. Input validation controls should be strengthened at all user-facing interfaces to ensure that JavaScript code cannot be embedded in user-provided content. Session management practices should be reviewed to implement additional security measures such as secure cookie attributes and session timeout mechanisms. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and penetration testing of enterprise applications, particularly those handling sensitive design and architectural information. Organizations should also consider implementing security awareness training for developers and administrators to recognize potential injection attack vectors and maintain secure coding practices throughout the software development lifecycle.