CVE-2018-1952 in Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Jazz Foundation (IBM Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager 5.0 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: 153495.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/01/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1952 affects IBM Jazz Foundation components including IBM Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager versions 5.0 through 6.0.6, representing a critical cross-site scripting weakness that compromises web application security. This vulnerability resides within the web user interface of the application, creating an attack vector that enables malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the targeted environment. The flaw specifically manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user input before rendering it within web pages, allowing attackers to exploit this weakness through crafted payloads that can execute within the context of authenticated user sessions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which defines cross-site scripting as the improper handling of untrusted data within web applications. Attackers can leverage this weakness by submitting malicious input through various interface elements such as forms, comments, or parameter fields that are then reflected back to other users or stored within the application. The impact is particularly severe because the vulnerability operates within a trusted session context, meaning that when a victim accesses a maliciously crafted page or interacts with compromised content, their authenticated session cookies and potentially sensitive credentials could be exfiltrated to attacker-controlled servers. This creates a significant risk for enterprise environments where the Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager serves as a central collaboration platform for software development teams.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability extend beyond simple data theft, as it enables attackers to manipulate the application's intended functionality and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive development artifacts, project data, and intellectual property. The attack surface is particularly concerning in development environments where the application handles confidential information about software projects, requirements, and design specifications. When combined with other exploitation techniques, this vulnerability could allow attackers to escalate privileges within the application or use stolen session tokens to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users. The IBM X-Force ID 153495 further validates the severity of this weakness by highlighting its potential for credential compromise within trusted session contexts.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-1952 should prioritize immediate patching of affected IBM Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager versions to address the underlying cross-site scripting vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the web application to prevent JavaScript code injection attempts. Security teams must also deploy web application firewalls and content security policies to monitor and block malicious payloads. Additionally, regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the application's codebase, while user education programs should emphasize the importance of avoiding suspicious links and content within development collaboration platforms. The remediation approach should follow industry best practices established by frameworks such as OWASP Top Ten and NIST guidelines for web application security, ensuring that the fix addresses both the immediate vulnerability and prevents similar issues from emerging in future development cycles.