CVE-2018-1762 in Rational Collaborative Lifecycle Management
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Rational Collaborative Lifecycle Management 5.0 through 5.0.2 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: 148616.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/12/2023
IBM Rational Collaborative Lifecycle Management versions 5.0 through 5.0.2 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 stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's web components, allowing malicious actors to inject malicious JavaScript code through user-controllable input fields. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79 as a Cross-Site Scripting flaw, which occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages. The specific nature of this vulnerability enables attackers to execute arbitrary code within the context of a victim's browser session, potentially compromising the integrity of the application's authentication mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it creates a pathway for credential theft and session hijacking within trusted browser sessions. When users interact with the affected web interface, malicious JavaScript code can be executed to capture session cookies, form data, or other sensitive information that the authenticated user has access to. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1539, which describes credentials harvesting through web browsers, and represents a significant risk to organizations relying on the collaborative lifecycle management platform for sensitive development and project data. The attack vector typically involves crafting malicious input that gets stored or reflected in the application's web interface, then executed when other users view the affected content.
Organizations utilizing these IBM Rational Collaborative Lifecycle Management versions face substantial risk of unauthorized access and data compromise. The vulnerability's exploitation potential increases when considering that the affected platform typically handles sensitive project management data, development artifacts, and collaborative information that may contain intellectual property or proprietary system details. Security researchers have identified that the vulnerability can be triggered through various input points within the web UI, including but not limited to project descriptions, user comments, or configuration parameters. The IBM X-Force ID 148616 associated with this vulnerability indicates the severity and recognition of the threat within the security community, emphasizing the need for immediate remediation. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation, output encoding, and content security policies to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability while also monitoring for any signs of attempted exploitation or successful breaches within their environments.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of affected versions to the latest available releases, implementation of web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities, and regular security assessments of the web interface components. The remediation process should involve thorough input sanitization across all user-controllable fields, deployment of proper output encoding mechanisms, and establishment of content security policies that prevent unauthorized script execution. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security training for users to recognize potential social engineering attempts that may leverage this vulnerability, and implement monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous behavior patterns consistent with XSS exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as a persistent threat underscores the importance of maintaining updated security measures and continuous monitoring to protect against evolving attack techniques targeting web application interfaces.