CVE-2018-1659 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: 144885.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1659 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 web-based user interface of this enterprise-level software platform. This issue falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which specifically addresses the injection of malicious scripts into web applications. The vulnerability enables attackers to inject arbitrary JavaScript code through the web interface, fundamentally altering the intended functionality of the application. IBM Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager serves as a comprehensive tool for managing software development processes, making this vulnerability particularly concerning as it affects the core operational environment of engineering teams. The attack vector exploits the application's failure to properly sanitize user input within web UI components, allowing malicious actors to execute scripts in the context of authenticated sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it creates opportunities for credential disclosure within trusted sessions. When an authenticated user interacts with the compromised interface, the injected JavaScript code can execute with the privileges of that user, potentially accessing sensitive information or performing unauthorized actions. This vulnerability specifically targets the web user interface components of the Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager, which are designed to facilitate collaboration among engineering teams. The attack scenario involves an attacker crafting malicious input that gets processed by the web application and subsequently rendered to other users, creating a persistent threat vector. The vulnerability's presence in both version 5.x and 6.x releases indicates a widespread issue affecting multiple generations of the software, suggesting a systemic flaw in the input validation mechanisms. This cross-site scripting vulnerability represents a significant risk to enterprise security environments where the Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager is deployed, as it can be exploited to gain access to sensitive engineering data and development processes.
Organizations utilizing IBM Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager must implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including input validation and output encoding measures. The recommended approach involves implementing proper sanitization of all user-supplied data before rendering it within the web interface, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against script execution, while regular security updates from IBM should be prioritized to ensure the latest patches are applied. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining secure coding practices in enterprise software development, particularly when dealing with user-facing web interfaces. Security teams should conduct thorough penetration testing to identify potential exploitation vectors and establish monitoring procedures for detecting unusual script execution patterns within the application environment. This vulnerability also highlights the necessity of implementing proper session management controls and ensuring that authentication mechanisms remain robust against session hijacking attempts that could be facilitated by cross-site scripting exploits.