CVE-2015-0620 in Telepresence Management Suite
Summary
by MITRE
The XML parser in Cisco TelePresence Management Suite (TMS) 14.3(.2) and earlier does not properly handle external entities, which allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service via POST requests, aka Bug ID CSCus51494.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/21/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0620 affects the XML parser component within Cisco TelePresence Management Suite version 14.3.2 and earlier releases. This issue represents a classic implementation flaw in how the system processes structured data formats, specifically targeting the handling of external entities within XML documents. The vulnerability exists within the TelePresence Management Suite which serves as a centralized management platform for Cisco's video conferencing infrastructure, making it a critical component in enterprise communication systems.
The technical flaw manifests in the XML parser's insufficient validation and sanitization of external entity references during POST request processing. When authenticated users submit specially crafted XML content containing external entity declarations, the parser fails to properly restrict or neutralize these references, allowing them to trigger unintended processing behaviors. This improper handling creates a condition where the system becomes vulnerable to denial of service attacks through carefully constructed input that exploits the XML parsing mechanism. The vulnerability specifically impacts the processing of XML data submitted via HTTP POST requests, which are commonly used for configuration updates and management operations within the TMS environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it represents a significant security weakness that can be exploited by authenticated attackers within the network. While the attack requires authentication credentials, this limitation does not mitigate the risk since compromised accounts or insider threats could leverage this vulnerability to disrupt critical video conferencing services. The denial of service condition affects the availability of the TelePresence Management Suite, potentially disrupting business continuity for organizations relying on Cisco's video conferencing infrastructure. This vulnerability directly impacts the system's integrity and availability aspects of the CIA triad, creating operational challenges for enterprises that depend on reliable communication platforms.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Cisco TelePresence Management Suite versions that contain the patched XML parser implementation, which addresses the external entity handling issue through proper input validation and sanitization. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit unauthorized access to the TMS management interface, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual POST request patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-611, which specifically addresses improper restriction of XML external entity reference, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for denial of service through resource exhaustion. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues in other components of the network infrastructure, as this represents a common pattern in XML processing vulnerabilities that affects various enterprise applications and platforms.