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CVE Record

CVE-2020-4856: IBM Engineering products are vulnerable to stored cross-site scripting.

IBM Engineering products are vulnerable to stored 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: 190459.

MediumCVSS 6.4Not KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2020-4856 is a stored cross-site scripting issue in several IBM Engineering products. A logged-in user could save JavaScript into the web interface, causing the application to behave differently in another trusted session and potentially expose credentials.

Executive priority

Treat this as a moderate-priority remediation item. It is not listed as actively exploited in the provided sources, but it can affect credential confidentiality inside trusted engineering systems that often contain sensitive project data.

Technical view

The vulnerability affects listed IBM Rational and Engineering Lifecycle products across 6.0.x and 7.0.x versions. CVSS 3.0 is 6.4 with network access, low privileges, low complexity, changed scope, and low confidentiality and integrity impact. Availability impact is not indicated.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most likely in organizations running the named IBM engineering, workflow, quality, test, lifecycle, or DOORS products on affected versions, especially where many project users can create or edit web UI content.

Exploitation context

The provided bundle does not state active exploitation, and KEV is false. The CVSS temporal vector lists exploit maturity as high, but that is not evidence of observed attacks. Risk depends on authenticated access and stored content reaching trusted sessions.

Researcher notes

Focus validation on authenticated stored-content paths in the affected IBM web UIs. Do not assume all IBM Engineering versions are affected; use only the listed versions unless IBM guidance expands scope. The sources provide impact and affected products, but not detailed exploit mechanics.

Mitigation direction

  • Apply IBM guidance or official fixes from the referenced support advisory.
  • Inventory affected IBM products and versions before prioritizing remediation.
  • Restrict write privileges in affected project areas until remediation is complete.
  • Review saved web UI content for unexpected script-like entries.
  • Monitor IBM support and X-Force pages for any updated guidance.

Validation and detection

  • Confirm deployed product names and versions match IBM's affected list.
  • Verify whether IBM's advisory fix has been applied in each environment.
  • Review audit logs for unusual content changes by low-privileged users.
  • Check high-risk project artifacts for unexpected embedded script content.
  • Retest normal web UI workflows after remediation to confirm functionality.
Prepared
Confidence
high
Sources
4

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

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CVE-2020-4856 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Medium
CVSS
6.4 (3.0)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.0/PR:L/A:N/S:C/AC:L/AV:N/UI:N/C:L/I:L/RL:O/E:H/RC:C

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

1CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
3Source links

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
6.4CVSS 3.0MediumCVSS:3.0/PR:L/A:N/S:C/AC:L/AV:N/UI:N/C:L/I:L/RL:O/E:H/RC:C3.12.7Primary CVE score

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.0 score

6.4Medium
CVSS 3.0 vector shape for CVE-2020-4856Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.0/PR:L/A:N/S:C/AC:L/AV:N/UI:N/C:L/I:L/RL:O/E:H/RC:C

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
IBMRational Team Concert6.0.2, 6.0.6, 6.0.6.1Listed
IBMEngineering Workflow Management7.0, 7.0.1, 7.0.2Listed
IBMRational Quality Manager6.0.2, 6.0.6, 6.0.6.1Listed
IBMEngineering Test Management7.0.0, 7.0.1, 7.0.2Listed
IBMEngineering Lifecycle Optimization7.0, 7.0.1, 7.0.2Listed
IBMRational DOORS Next Generation6.0.2, 6.0.6, 6.0.6.1, 7.0, 7.0.1, 7.0.2Listed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.