CVE-2018-1605 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: 143795.
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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 within the web interface. The flaw specifically affects the web UI components that process user-supplied data, allowing malicious actors to inject malicious JavaScript code through input fields or parameters that are not adequately filtered or escaped.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple functionality alteration as it creates a pathway for credential theft within trusted sessions. When a user interacts with the compromised RQM interface, the embedded JavaScript code executes in the context of the victim's browser session, potentially capturing session cookies, login credentials, or other sensitive information. This threat model 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 testing processes.
Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious input containing JavaScript payloads that are then stored and executed when other users view the affected pages. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects multiple versions of IBM Rational Quality Manager, suggesting a widespread exposure across different deployment scenarios. The attack surface includes any user interaction with the web interface where user input is processed, including test case creation, defect reporting, or any other data entry functionality that displays user-supplied content.
Organizations using these affected versions should prioritize immediate remediation through IBM's official security patches and updates. The vulnerability represents a significant risk to application security and could enable attackers to escalate privileges within the RQM environment, potentially gaining access to sensitive test data, quality metrics, and other confidential information managed through the platform. Security teams should also implement network-level monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and consider temporary mitigations such as input validation restrictions while permanent patches are deployed. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization and output encoding practices in web applications, aligning with industry standards that emphasize the need for robust security controls throughout the application lifecycle.