CVE-2018-1607 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 a XML External Entity Injection (XXE) attack when processing XML data. A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to expose sensitive information or consume memory resources. IBM X-Force ID: 143797.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1607 affects IBM Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager versions 5.0 through 5.02 and 6.0 through 6.0.6, representing a critical XML External Entity Injection flaw that exposes the system to remote exploitation. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-611, which specifically addresses XML external entity injection vulnerabilities that occur when an application processes untrusted XML data without proper validation or sanitization. The flaw exists in the XML processing functionality of the engineering lifecycle management platform, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate the system through crafted XML input.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows a remote attacker to inject external entities into the XML processing pipeline, enabling them to access internal system resources that should remain protected. When the system processes XML data containing malicious entity references, it can inadvertently retrieve and process external resources, potentially exposing internal file systems, network services, or sensitive configuration data. The attack vector operates through the standard XML parsing mechanisms that IBM Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager employs for data exchange and configuration management, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through normal system operations such as data imports, configuration updates, or API calls that accept XML input.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as attackers can also consume excessive memory resources through malicious entity expansion attacks, potentially leading to denial of service conditions that disrupt engineering workflows and project management operations. System administrators may face challenges in detecting exploitation attempts since the malicious activity can appear as legitimate system operations, while the memory consumption patterns may not immediately indicate compromise. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on the Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager for managing software development processes, potentially compromising intellectual property, source code repositories, and sensitive project data that flows through the system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of affected systems to the latest available versions from IBM that contain fixed XML processing routines. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the affected system, disable unnecessary XML processing capabilities, and deploy XML validation controls that prevent external entity resolution. The mitigation approach aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002 for data from information repositories and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, as attackers may use this vulnerability to gain access to additional system resources or escalate privileges within the engineering environment. Security monitoring should focus on unusual XML processing activities and memory consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.