CVE-2013-1109 in WebEx Training Center
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in testingLibraryAction.do in the Training Center testing library in Cisco WebEx Training Center allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users for requests that delete tests, aka Bug ID CSCzu81067.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2021
The CVE-2013-1109 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within Cisco WebEx Training Center's testing library component. This vulnerability specifically affects the testingLibraryAction.do servlet which handles administrative operations for test management. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate authenticated sessions and execute unauthorized actions against the system. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to delete tests through forged requests, potentially disrupting educational content and administrative processes within the training environment.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation within the testingLibraryAction.do endpoint. When legitimate users authenticate to the WebEx Training Center system, their sessions remain active and authenticated. However, the lack of CSRF protection mechanisms means that malicious actors can craft specially crafted web requests that appear to originate from authenticated users. These forged requests can manipulate the testing library functionality to delete test materials without requiring valid credentials or explicit user consent. The vulnerability essentially allows an attacker to leverage an authenticated user's session to perform administrative actions, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on the platform for training and assessment activities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data deletion, as it compromises the integrity and availability of the entire testing infrastructure within Cisco WebEx Training Center. Organizations using this platform could experience disruption to their training programs, loss of valuable assessment materials, and potential exposure of sensitive educational content. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to delete critical tests, thereby undermining the training process and potentially affecting student learning outcomes. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access to the network or direct system interaction, making the vulnerability particularly concerning for enterprise environments where WebEx Training Center is deployed. This flaw directly violates security principles of authentication and authorization, creating opportunities for unauthorized access and data manipulation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-1109 should focus on implementing proper CSRF protection mechanisms within the affected application. Organizations should ensure that all administrative actions within the WebEx Training Center system require valid anti-CSRF tokens that are tied to the user's current session. The implementation of the synchronizer token pattern, as recommended by CWE-352, would effectively prevent unauthorized requests from being processed. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing Content Security Policy headers and other web application security measures to further protect against CSRF attacks. Cisco has since released patches and updates to address this vulnerability, and organizations should ensure they are running patched versions of the WebEx Training Center software. Regular security assessments and monitoring of authenticated session management practices should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique through session manipulation, highlighting the need for robust session management controls and proper input validation mechanisms.