CVE-2014-3305 in WebEx Meetings Server
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the web framework in Cisco WebEx Meetings Server 1.5(.1.131) and earlier allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of unspecified victims via unknown vectors, aka Bug ID CSCuj81735.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/10/2022
The CVE-2014-3305 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within Cisco WebEx Meetings Server version 1.5(.1.131) and earlier installations. This vulnerability resides in the web framework component of the software, creating a significant security risk that enables remote attackers to exploit user sessions without their knowledge or consent. The flaw specifically affects the authentication mechanism, allowing malicious actors to manipulate web requests and potentially gain unauthorized access to user accounts and system resources. The vulnerability's designation as a CSRF issue indicates that it leverages the trust relationship between a web application and a user's browser to execute unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation within the WebEx Meetings Server web interface. When users navigate to malicious websites or click on compromised links, the attacker can craft requests that appear to originate from the legitimate WebEx server, thereby bypassing authentication mechanisms. This occurs because the server fails to properly verify the source of incoming requests or validate that requests are initiated by the legitimate user rather than by an attacker. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects unspecified victims, suggesting that any authenticated user of the system could be targeted through various attack vectors including phishing campaigns, malicious websites, or compromised network traffic.
The operational implications of this vulnerability extend beyond simple account hijacking to encompass potential data breaches, unauthorized meeting access, and privilege escalation within the WebEx environment. Attackers could exploit this flaw to conduct unauthorized administrative actions, access sensitive meeting recordings, manipulate user permissions, or even compromise the entire meeting server infrastructure. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on WebEx for business communications, as successful exploitation could lead to significant financial losses, regulatory compliance violations, and reputational damage. The attack surface is broad since the vulnerability exists in the core web framework, meaning that any web-based interaction with the server could potentially be exploited.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches released by Cisco, implementing proper CSRF token validation mechanisms, and configuring web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious cross-site requests. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access and privilege escalation, particularly T1566 for credential harvesting and T1078 for valid accounts. Security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring for unusual authentication patterns and ensure that all web applications undergo regular security assessments to identify similar flaws in the application logic and session management components.