CVE-2013-3397 in Unified Communications Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Unified Serviceability component in Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users for requests that perform Unified Serviceability actions, aka Bug ID CSCuh10298.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/28/2019
The CVE-2013-3397 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within Cisco Unified Communications Manager's Unified Serviceability component. This vulnerability specifically targets the authentication mechanisms of the CUCM system, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on Cisco's unified communications infrastructure. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit the system's trust in authenticated sessions by crafting malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate users. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the serviceability layer of the communication system, which typically has elevated privileges and access to critical network functions.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins within the Unified Serviceability component. When legitimate users authenticate to the CUCM system, their session tokens become valid for performing various administrative actions through the serviceability interface. However, the vulnerability exists because the system fails to properly verify that requests are genuinely initiated by the authenticated user rather than being forged by an attacker. This weakness allows malicious actors to construct web requests that, when executed by an authenticated user's browser, perform unauthorized actions within the Unified Serviceability framework. The flaw essentially permits attackers to hijack existing authenticated sessions and execute commands that should only be available to authorized administrators.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can enable comprehensive system compromise within the unified communications environment. Attackers who successfully exploit this CSRF vulnerability can perform a wide range of actions including modifying system configurations, accessing sensitive communication data, altering user permissions, and potentially disrupting critical business communications. The vulnerability affects organizations using Cisco Unified Communications Manager versions prior to the patched releases, creating a window of opportunity for attackers to exploit the trust relationship between the system and authenticated users. This risk is compounded by the fact that Unified Serviceability is often used for monitoring and managing communications infrastructure, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to gain persistent access to network communication systems.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability effectively. The primary remediation involves applying the official Cisco security patches and updates that address the CSRF validation weaknesses in the Unified Serviceability component. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of the serviceability interface to untrusted networks. Additionally, implementing proper web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious request patterns can help detect exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications, and represents a significant concern within the ATT&CK framework under the privilege escalation and persistence categories. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their unified communications environments to identify any additional related vulnerabilities that may exist in similar components or integrated systems.