CVE-2020-4865 in Jazz Foundation
Summary
by MITRE • 01/28/2021
IBM Jazz Foundation products 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: 190741.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/20/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-4865 affects IBM Jazz Foundation products, which are widely used for collaborative software development and project management within enterprise environments. This cross-site scripting vulnerability represents a critical security weakness that undermines the integrity of web-based user interfaces. The flaw specifically resides in the web user interface components of these products, where user input is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to the browser. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious JavaScript code that gets executed within the context of a victim's browser session when they interact with the vulnerable application.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. This weakness allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, potentially compromising the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive data. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe because it can be exploited to steal session cookies, credentials, and other sensitive information from authenticated users within trusted sessions. When a victim accesses a maliciously crafted URL or interacts with compromised content, their browser executes the injected JavaScript code, which can then access the victim's session and potentially exfiltrate confidential information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable attackers to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. This includes accessing restricted resources, modifying data, and potentially escalating privileges within the application environment. The attack surface is broad since IBM Jazz Foundation products are commonly deployed in enterprise settings where users frequently access the platform with elevated privileges. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical skill, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by threat actors with varying levels of expertise. Additionally, the fact that this vulnerability operates within trusted sessions means that traditional network-based security measures may not detect the malicious activity, as the attacks appear to originate from legitimate user accounts.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied data within the web interface. The recommended approach involves implementing strict sanitization of all user inputs before rendering them in web pages, along with proper content security policies to prevent unauthorized script execution. Security patches provided by IBM should be deployed immediately, as these updates typically address the root cause by implementing proper input validation mechanisms. Additional protective measures include implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script injection attempts, as well as conducting regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in related applications. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of adhering to secure coding practices and following the principle of least privilege in web application development, as outlined in various security frameworks including those referenced in the ATT&CK framework for web application attacks.