CVE-2007-5637 in Business Communications Manager
Summary
by MITRE
The Nortel UNIStim IP Softphone 2050, IP Phone 1140E, and additional Nortel products from the IP Phone, Business Communications Manager (BCM), and other product lines allow remote attackers to eavesdrop on the physical environment via an Open Audio Stream message that enables "surveillance mode." NOTE: issues relating to a small ID number space can be leveraged to make this attack easier.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/26/2024
The CVE-2007-5637 vulnerability affects multiple Nortel communication devices including the UNIStim IP Softphone 2050 and IP Phone 1140E, along with various products from the IP Phone, Business Communications Manager (BCM), and other Nortel product lines. This security flaw represents a significant privacy and confidentiality breach that allows remote attackers to conduct unauthorized surveillance operations. The vulnerability manifests through an Open Audio Stream message that can be exploited to enable "surveillance mode" on affected devices, effectively transforming legitimate communication hardware into covert listening devices capable of capturing audio from the physical environment surrounding the targeted equipment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate authentication and authorization mechanisms within the Nortel IP communication protocols. Attackers can exploit this flaw by sending specially crafted Open Audio Stream messages to the affected devices, which then respond by enabling surveillance capabilities without proper verification of the sender's credentials. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the network level and can be executed remotely, meaning attackers do not require physical access to the devices or proximity to the network infrastructure. The referenced issue of a small ID number space significantly amplifies the exploitability of this vulnerability by reducing the complexity required to identify valid session identifiers or device access tokens, making automated exploitation more feasible.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe risk for organizations relying on Nortel communication infrastructure for business operations. The ability to eavesdrop on physical environments through these devices can compromise sensitive business conversations, personal communications, and confidential discussions occurring in office spaces, meeting rooms, or other locations where the affected equipment is deployed. The implications extend beyond simple privacy violations to potential corporate espionage, intellectual property theft, and violation of data protection regulations. Organizations may face significant legal and regulatory consequences, particularly in industries subject to compliance requirements such as healthcare, finance, or government sectors where unauthorized surveillance constitutes serious violations of privacy laws and security standards.
The vulnerability aligns with several CWE classifications including CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and CWE-310 (Cryptographic Issues), as it demonstrates insufficient authorization mechanisms and potentially weak session management protocols. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques such as T1046 (Network Service Scanning) for initial reconnaissance and T1566 (Phishing) for potential initial compromise vectors, though the primary attack vector is direct network exploitation. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate affected devices, deployment of network monitoring tools to detect anomalous Open Audio Stream traffic patterns, and implementation of access controls that limit network access to these devices. Additionally, device firmware updates should be applied immediately if available, and network administrators should consider disabling unnecessary audio streaming capabilities on affected equipment. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of secure network architecture design and proper device configuration management in protecting against remote exploitation of communication infrastructure.