# CVE-2016-8973: File upload in Rational Rhapsody Design Manager

> An authenticated user can upload malicious files to IBM Rhapsody Design Manager, potentially leading to code execution on the server.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.3 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 20 Mar 2017
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-g3q5-wwmf-q83w

## What is CVE-2016-8973?

CVE-2016-8973 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Ibm Rational Rhapsody Design Manager, published on 20 Mar 2017. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM Rhapsody DM 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0 contains an undisclosed vulnerability that may allow an authenticated user to upload infected malicious files to the server. IBM Reference #: 1999960.

Weakness: CWE-434 (Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-8973?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Rational Rhapsody Design Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-8973?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-8973 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-8973 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-8973 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Ibm Rational Rhapsody Design Manager

- [CVE-2016-9698](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-9698/): XML external entity in Rational Rhapsody Design Manager (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2016-8974](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8974/): XML external entity in Rational Rhapsody Design Manager (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2018-1456](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1456/): XML external entity in n/a (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2018-1535](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1535/): Cross-site scripting in Rational Rhapsody Design Manager (medium 5.4)
- [CVE-2018-1536](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1536/): Cross-site scripting in Rational Rhapsody Design Manager (medium 5.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-8973 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-8973 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Ibm Rational Rhapsody Design Manager, published on 20 Mar 2017. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-8973 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Ibm Rational Rhapsody Design Manager. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8973/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8973/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-8973
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-8973
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-8973

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8973/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.