CVE-2010-3043 in Webex Advanced Recording Format Player
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple buffer overflows in the Cisco WebEx Recording Format (WRF) and Advanced Recording Format (ARF) Players T27LB before SP21 EP3 and T27LC before SP22 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted (1) .wrf or (2) .arf file, a different vulnerability than CVE-2010-3041, CVE-2010-3042, and CVE-2010-3044.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3043 represents a critical security flaw affecting Cisco WebEx Recording Format and Advanced Recording Format players. This issue impacts specific versions of the T27LB and T27LC components, namely those prior to SP21 EP3 and SP22 respectively, exposing users to significant risks through maliciously crafted media files. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation mechanisms within the parsing logic of these players, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate the application's memory handling processes. These buffer overflow conditions occur when the affected software attempts to process specially crafted .wrf and .arf file formats without adequate bounds checking, leading to memory corruption that can result in application instability or potential code execution.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves buffer overflow conditions that manifest during the parsing of malformed recording files. When the WebEx players encounter maliciously constructed headers or data structures within the .wrf or .arf files, the software's memory allocation routines fail to properly validate input lengths, allowing attackers to overwrite adjacent memory regions. This memory corruption can trigger application crashes through stack corruption or cause more severe consequences when the overflow extends into executable code regions. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-125, addressing out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities that can lead to information disclosure or code execution. The exploitability of this vulnerability is enhanced by the fact that these media players are commonly used in business environments and educational institutions, making them attractive targets for attackers seeking to compromise corporate networks.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for organizations relying on Cisco WebEx for collaboration and training purposes. The denial of service aspect can disrupt critical business communications and training sessions, while the potential for arbitrary code execution presents a more severe threat that could allow attackers to establish persistent access within the affected systems. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to deploy malware, conduct reconnaissance activities, or escalate privileges within the compromised environment. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not require physical access to target systems, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where users may inadvertently open malicious files sent via email or downloaded from untrusted sources. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for execution through remote code injection methods.
Organizations must implement immediate mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability, beginning with applying the latest security patches provided by Cisco. System administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. File validation mechanisms should be enhanced to prevent automatic execution of potentially malicious media files, particularly in high-risk environments. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual application behavior or crash patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, user awareness training should emphasize the importance of verifying file sources and avoiding opening suspicious attachments. The vulnerability's characteristics make it particularly important for organizations to maintain up-to-date vulnerability management processes and to regularly test their incident response procedures to ensure rapid mitigation in case of exploitation attempts.