CVE-2013-6959 in WebEx Sales Center
Summary
by MITRE
Open redirect vulnerability in Cisco WebEx Sales Center allows remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via unspecified vectors, aka Bug ID CSCul25557.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/12/2022
The CVE-2013-6959 vulnerability represents a critical open redirect flaw discovered in Cisco WebEx Sales Center software, which fundamentally undermines user security by enabling malicious actors to manipulate web navigation flows. This vulnerability specifically affects the WebEx Sales Center platform, a collaborative business solution designed for sales presentations and remote meetings, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to exploit user trust in legitimate business applications. The flaw allows remote attackers to craft malicious links that appear to originate from trusted WebEx domains while actually directing users to arbitrary external websites, creating an ideal environment for social engineering attacks and credential theft operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the WebEx Sales Center's URL handling mechanisms, particularly in how the application processes and redirects user requests. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specially formatted URLs that contain malicious redirect parameters, bypassing the application's built-in security controls designed to prevent unauthorized redirection. The vulnerability operates at the application layer, specifically affecting the web interface components responsible for processing user navigation requests, and can be triggered through various attack vectors including email phishing campaigns, malicious website links, or compromised web pages that embed the vulnerable redirect functionality. This weakness creates a direct pathway for attackers to establish phishing environments that leverage the legitimate WebEx brand to deceive users into revealing sensitive information or executing malicious actions.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-6959 extends beyond simple phishing attacks, as it provides attackers with a sophisticated mechanism for conducting advanced persistent threats against enterprise environments. Organizations using WebEx Sales Center become vulnerable to credential harvesting attacks where users are redirected to fake authentication pages that capture login information, potentially compromising entire corporate networks through compromised user accounts. The vulnerability also enables attackers to deploy malware distribution campaigns by redirecting users to malicious download sites, or to conduct more sophisticated attacks such as session hijacking and data exfiltration operations. This open redirect vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-601, which classifies open redirect vulnerabilities as a serious security weakness that allows attackers to redirect users to malicious websites, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1566 for phishing and T1071 for application layer protocols, demonstrating the multi-faceted nature of the threat.
Organizations exposed to this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigation strategies including network-level filtering to block known malicious redirect patterns, application-level input validation enhancements, and user education programs to recognize suspicious navigation behaviors. The recommended remediation approach involves applying Cisco's official security patches and updates, implementing strict URL validation controls within the WebEx Sales Center configuration, and deploying web application firewalls to monitor and filter redirect requests. Additionally, enterprises should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their WebEx implementations, establish monitoring protocols for unusual redirect activity, and develop incident response procedures specifically addressing open redirect vulnerabilities. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper input validation and secure coding practices, as highlighted in industry standards such as OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity guidelines, emphasizing that even seemingly minor security flaws can create significant attack vectors in enterprise environments.