CVE-2014-8018 in Unified Communications Domain Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Business Voice Services Manager (BVSM) pages in the Application Software in Cisco Unified Communications Domain Manager 8 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted URL, aka Bug IDs CSCur19651, CSCur18555, CSCur19630, and CSCur19661.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-8018 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Cisco Unified Communications Domain Manager 8's Business Voice Services Manager component. This security weakness resides within the application software layer of Cisco's unified communications infrastructure, specifically impacting the BVSM pages that handle voice service management operations. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web interface, creating an attack surface where malicious actors can manipulate URL parameters to execute unauthorized code within the context of authenticated user sessions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through crafted URL manipulation that bypasses proper sanitization of user-supplied input. Attackers can construct malicious URLs containing script payloads that get executed when the vulnerable pages are accessed by unsuspecting users. The flaw manifests across multiple related bug IDs including CSCur19651, CSCur18555, CSCur19630, and CSCur19661, indicating a systemic issue within the application software's handling of web requests. This vulnerability falls under CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security architecture that enables malicious script injection.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-8018 extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to establish persistent malicious sessions within the communications domain. Successful exploitation allows threat actors to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, deface web interfaces, and potentially escalate privileges within the unified communications environment. The vulnerability particularly affects enterprise networks where Cisco Unified Communications Domain Manager 8 is deployed, potentially compromising voice communication integrity and exposing sensitive business communications infrastructure to unauthorized access. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers can leverage the XSS flaw to deliver malicious payloads through compromised web interfaces.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including input validation patches, web application firewall rules, and comprehensive security monitoring of web application traffic. The remediation approach should focus on proper output encoding and input sanitization across all web pages, particularly those handling user-supplied parameters. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of the affected Cisco Unified Communications Domain Manager 8 installations and ensure timely patch deployment from Cisco's security advisories. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining secure coding practices and proper input validation within enterprise communication platforms, as it represents a fundamental failure in web application security that could lead to complete compromise of voice communication systems.