CVE-2013-6966 in WebEx Training Center
Summary
by MITRE
Open redirect vulnerability in Cisco WebEx Training Center allows remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via unspecified vectors, aka Bug ID CSCul36031.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-6966 represents a critical open redirect flaw within Cisco WebEx Training Center software that exposes users to significant security risks. This weakness enables remote attackers to manipulate the application's redirect functionality and steer users toward malicious websites, effectively creating a vector for sophisticated phishing campaigns and social engineering attacks. The vulnerability specifically affects the WebEx Training Center platform, which is widely used for online training and collaboration environments, making it a prime target for threat actors seeking to compromise user credentials and sensitive information.
The technical implementation of this open redirect vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the WebEx Training Center's URL handling mechanisms. Attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting malicious URLs that contain redirect parameters pointing to attacker-controlled domains, bypassing the application's normal security checks. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the vulnerability description suggest that multiple entry points within the application's redirect functionality may be susceptible to exploitation, potentially including session management components, authentication flows, or external link processing features. This weakness aligns with CWE-601, which specifically addresses open redirect vulnerabilities where applications redirect users to unvalidated external URLs.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple phishing attacks, as it can facilitate more sophisticated attack chains including credential harvesting, malware distribution, and data exfiltration. Users accessing the WebEx Training Center platform may unknowingly navigate to malicious sites that appear legitimate due to the redirect mechanism, making user awareness-based defenses ineffective. The vulnerability's presence in a training environment is particularly concerning since these platforms often contain sensitive corporate information, personal data, and may be used for accessing restricted systems. Threat actors can leverage this weakness to establish initial access points, harvest credentials from authenticated sessions, or deploy additional malware through the redirected traffic.
Organizations utilizing Cisco WebEx Training Center should implement immediate mitigations including input validation controls, explicit URL validation mechanisms, and the implementation of security headers to prevent unauthorized redirects. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and proper input sanitization, particularly in web applications handling user interactions and external links. Security teams should conduct comprehensive assessments of all redirect functionality within the platform and implement strict validation of destination URLs against approved domains. Additionally, network-level controls including web application firewalls and proxy configurations can provide additional layers of protection. This vulnerability underscores the ATT&CK framework's relevance in understanding how open redirect flaws can be leveraged for initial access and credential theft, as outlined in techniques related to phishing and credential access through web-based attacks. The remediation process should involve thorough code review, implementation of proper URL validation libraries, and regular security testing to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future iterations of the platform.