CVE-2021-20502 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

IBM Jazz Foundation Products are vulnerable to an XML External Entity Injection (XXE) attack, potentially exposing sensitive information or causing memory resource consumption. The CVSS score for this vulnerability is 7.1 (High Severity).

Understanding CVE-2021-20502

This CVE impacts IBM Jazz Foundation Products, including Engineering Lifecycle Optimization, Engineering Workflow Management, Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager, and Rational Team Concert.

What is CVE-2021-20502?

IBM Jazz Foundation Products are susceptible to an XXE attack when processing XML data. An attacker can exploit this to extract confidential data or trigger resource depletion.

The Impact of CVE-2021-20502

The vulnerability poses a high-risk threat, with a CVSS base score of 7.1, allowing attackers to access sensitive information or disrupt system availability.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-20502

The vulnerability is ranked with a CVSS score of 7.1 (High Severity). Below are more technical details:

Vulnerability Description

IBM Jazz Foundation Products are prone to XML External Entity Injection (XXE), enabling attackers to compromise data integrity and confidentiality.

Affected Systems and Versions

Impacted products include Engineering Lifecycle Optimization, Engineering Workflow Management, Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager, and Rational Team Concert across multiple versions.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited remotely by sending crafted XML data to trigger the XXE attack and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2021-20502, follow these security practices:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update affected IBM Jazz Foundation Products to the latest patched versions.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activities.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly scan and patch systems to mitigate future vulnerabilities.
Conduct security awareness training to educate users on potential threats.

Patching and Updates

IBM has released official fixes for the affected products to address the XXE vulnerability and enhance system security.