CVE-2018-1984 in Rational Team Concert
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Rational Team Concert 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: 154137.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/01/2023
IBM Rational Team Concert versions 5.0 through 6.0.6 contains a critical cross-site scripting vulnerability that enables malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the web user interface. This flaw resides in the application's handling of user-supplied input within web responses, creating an attack vector where unauthenticated or authenticated users can manipulate the application's behavior through crafted payloads. The vulnerability specifically affects the web-based interface components that process and display user-generated content without adequate input sanitization or output encoding mechanisms. Attackers can leverage this weakness to execute malicious scripts in the context of a victim's browser session, potentially compromising the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive information.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation and sanitization of input parameters within the web application's rendering pipeline. When user-provided data is directly incorporated into HTML responses without proper encoding or filtering, it creates an environment where JavaScript code can be executed in the victim's browser context. This allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that can steal session cookies, credentials, or other sensitive data transmitted within the trusted session. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through various vectors including form submissions, URL parameters, or any input field that accepts user content and displays it without proper security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables sophisticated attacks such as session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration within the context of authenticated user sessions. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can potentially access sensitive project data, manipulate team collaboration features, or escalate privileges within the Rational Team Concert environment. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that Rational Team Concert is used for software development collaboration, making it a valuable target for adversaries seeking access to intellectual property, source code repositories, and development artifacts. The vulnerability affects both administrators and regular users, creating a broad attack surface that can compromise the entire development ecosystem.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and content security policy enforcement to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability. The recommended approach involves configuring the application to sanitize all user inputs and properly encode output data before rendering in web responses. Additionally, implementing strict content security policies can prevent unauthorized script execution even if input validation fails. Regular security updates and patches from IBM should be applied immediately upon availability, as the vendor has acknowledged this vulnerability and provided remediation measures. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect and prevent exploitation attempts, while security awareness training can help users recognize potential phishing attempts that might leverage this vulnerability. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 Cross-site Scripting and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, highlighting the need for comprehensive application security controls.