CVE-2013-3450 in Unified Communications Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the User WebDialer page in Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Unified CM) allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users for requests that dial calls, aka Bug ID CSCui13028.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/01/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2013-3450 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within Cisco Unified Communications Manager's User WebDialer component. This vulnerability exists in the web-based interface that allows users to make phone calls through a web browser, creating a dangerous attack surface where malicious actors can exploit the lack of proper authentication verification mechanisms. The issue specifically affects the User WebDialer page functionality which is part of Cisco's unified communications infrastructure, making it a target for attackers seeking to compromise voice communication systems. The vulnerability enables remote attackers to manipulate the system into executing unauthorized call-related actions without the knowledge or consent of legitimate users.
The technical flaw stems from the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms in the web dialer interface. When a user accesses the WebDialer page, the system should verify that requests originate from authenticated users and are legitimate user-initiated actions. However, the implementation fails to validate the source of requests, allowing attackers to craft malicious web pages or emails that, when visited by authenticated users, automatically submit requests to the WebDialer endpoint. This flaw operates at the application layer where web requests are processed, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through standard web browsing activities without requiring specialized tools or deep system access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized call initiation, as it represents a significant threat to enterprise communications security. Attackers could potentially make unauthorized calls to premium rate numbers, initiate emergency services calls, or redirect communications to malicious endpoints. The vulnerability affects the integrity and availability of the unified communications system, potentially leading to financial losses, security breaches, and disruption of business operations. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it can be delivered through social engineering campaigns, where users are tricked into visiting malicious websites while logged into their corporate communication systems. This creates a persistent threat that can be exploited repeatedly as long as the authentication session remains active.
Organizations should implement comprehensive mitigation strategies that include deploying proper CSRF tokens for all web-based communication functions, implementing strict referer header validation, and ensuring that authentication mechanisms are robust against session hijacking attacks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery issues, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1566 for phishing attacks that could leverage this weakness. Cisco has released security advisories and patches to address this vulnerability, emphasizing the importance of timely updates and the implementation of network segmentation to limit the potential impact of such attacks. The remediation process requires careful planning to avoid disrupting legitimate business communications while ensuring that the CSRF protection mechanisms are properly implemented across all web-based interfaces within the unified communications environment.