CVE-2018-1691 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: 145582.
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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 flaw in the web-based user interface. This vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting attacks where malicious scripts can be injected into web applications. The flaw exists in how the application processes user input within the web interface, failing to properly sanitize or escape potentially malicious content before rendering it back to users. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious JavaScript code that gets executed within the context of a victim's browser session when they interact with the vulnerable RQM application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it enables attackers to manipulate the intended functionality of the application. When users encounter malicious content within the RQM interface, the embedded JavaScript code can execute with the privileges of the authenticated user, potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data including login credentials, session tokens, and other confidential information. This creates a significant risk for organizations using RQM for quality management and testing processes, as the vulnerability could be exploited to gain unauthorized access to test environments, production data, or other sensitive organizational information. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it leverages the trust relationship between users and the application, making it difficult to detect and prevent.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers script injection attacks targeting web applications. Organizations utilizing IBM Rational Quality Manager should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches, implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and prevent XSS attacks. Additionally, security teams should conduct regular security assessments of the application environment, implement content security policies to restrict script execution, and educate users about recognizing potentially malicious content within the application interface. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security controls in enterprise quality management systems where sensitive data and processes are handled, as the consequences of successful exploitation can extend beyond simple data theft to include complete system compromise and unauthorized access to critical business processes.