Rational AppscanApplication · Ibm

CVE-2012-0736

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-05-03
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
IBM Rational AppScan Enterprise 5.x and 8.x before 8.5.0.1 does not properly create scan jobs, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted web site.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

IBM Rational AppScan Enterprise versions 5.x and 8.x before 8.5.0.1 contains a vulnerability in the scan job creation functionality that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted malicious website. The insufficient input validation during scan job creation enables arbitrary code execution in the context of the AppScan Enterprise application.

MitigationUpgrade IBM Rational AppScan Enterprise to version 8.5.0.1 or later to remediate this vulnerability. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to the AppScan Enterprise interface and implement web application firewall rules to block malicious requests targeting scan job creation endpoints.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Rational AppscanApplication
Affected:= 5.2= 5.4= 5.5.0= 5.5.0.1= 5.5.0.2= 5.6.0= 5.6.0.3= 8.0.0= 8.0.0.1= 8.0.0.2= 8.0.0.3= 8.0.1

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed AppScan Enterprise version
    Locate the version through the product's About dialog in the administration console, or check the installation directory for version metadata files. Common locations include the program files folder or configuration files listing the product build number.
    Affected if The installed version matches 5.2, 5.4, 5.5.0, 5.5.0.1, 5.5.0.2, 5.6.0, 5.6.0.3, 8.0.0, 8.0.0.1, 8.0.0.2, 8.0.0.3, or 8.1.0, or falls between 5.2 and 8.1.0 without reaching 8.5.0.1.
  2. Verify scan job creation feature is accessible
    Confirm the AppScan Enterprise web interface is operational and the scan job creation functionality is available. This is typically accessed through the Enterprise console under scan configuration or new scan job creation pages.
    Affected if The scan job creation interface is enabled and accessible to users or administrators.
  3. Assess network exposure of AppScan Enterprise interface
    Determine whether the AppScan Enterprise web console is reachable from network locations. Check firewall rules, reverse proxy configurations, or access control lists that govern external access to the application port (typically port 443 or 8080).
    Affected if The AppScan Enterprise interface is exposed to untrusted networks or the internet without proper network segmentation or authentication barriers.

You are affected if your installed IBM Rational AppScan Enterprise version is 5.x or 8.x prior to 8.5.0.1, the scan job creation feature is accessible, and the interface is reachable from a network location where an attacker could submit malicious requests.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade IBM Rational AppScan Enterprise to version 8.5.0.1 or later to remediate this vulnerability. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to the AppScan Enterprise interface and implement web application firewall rules to block malicious requests targeting scan job creation endpoints.

Recommended fix High confidence

Rational AppScan Enterprise 8.5.0.1 or later

  1. Back up the current Rational AppScan Enterprise installation and configuration
  2. Download Rational AppScan Enterprise version 8.5.0.1 or later from IBM Fix Central or the official IBM website
  3. Install the upgraded version following IBM's installation documentation
  4. Verify the installed version is 8.5.0.1 or higher by checking the About section
  5. Validate that scan jobs can be created and executed properly in the new version
Caveat IBM Rational AppScan 5.x is quite old; upgrading to 8.5.0.1 may require migration of scan configurations and may have significant UI and workflow changes from the 5.x line

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Rational Appscan Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,080
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Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-0736 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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