CVE-2007-5581 in Unified MeetingPlace
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in mpweb/scripts/mpx.dll in Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 5.4 and earlier and 6.0 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) FirstName and (2) LastName parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/29/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-5581 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in Cisco Unified MeetingPlace software versions 5.4 and earlier, as well as version 6.0. This issue resides within the mpweb/scripts/mpx.dll component and demonstrates a classic input validation weakness that has significant implications for web application security. The vulnerability affects the authentication and user management interfaces of the unified communications platform, making it particularly dangerous as it could potentially allow attackers to compromise user sessions and access sensitive meeting data.
The technical flaw manifests through improper sanitization of user-supplied input parameters within the web application's script processing module. Specifically, the FirstName and LastName parameters are vulnerable to XSS attacks because the application fails to properly encode or validate user input before processing it within the web response. This allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary HTML or JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected pages. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79 as Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security where user-controllable data is directly embedded into web pages without adequate sanitization.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates multiple attack vectors that could be exploited by remote attackers to compromise the integrity of the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace environment. An attacker could craft malicious requests containing script code in the FirstName or LastName fields, which would then be executed in the browsers of other users who view the affected web pages. This could lead to session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, or the execution of malicious commands on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability particularly affects meeting participants who might unknowingly trigger the malicious scripts when viewing meeting lists or user profiles, potentially leading to widespread compromise within the organization's unified communications infrastructure.
The attack surface for this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection to encompass broader security implications within enterprise communication systems. According to ATT&CK framework category T1566, this vulnerability aligns with the initial access phase where adversaries leverage web application vulnerabilities to establish footholds within target networks. The impact is amplified when considering that Cisco Unified MeetingPlace systems are often integrated with enterprise networks and may contain sensitive business information, making successful exploitation particularly damaging. Organizations using these vulnerable versions face risks of unauthorized access to meeting records, user credentials, and potentially sensitive business communications that could be intercepted or manipulated through the XSS payload execution.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-5581 should include immediate patching of affected Cisco Unified MeetingPlace installations to versions that properly sanitize input parameters. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout their web applications, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly escaped before being rendered in web pages. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection, while regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other web applications. The remediation process must also include thorough testing of patched systems to ensure that the XSS vulnerabilities are fully resolved without introducing regressions in system functionality.