CVE-2015-0696 in TelePresence
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the login page in Cisco TC Software before 7.1.0 on Cisco TelePresence Collaboration Desk and Room Endpoints devices allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors, aka Bug ID CSCuq94977.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/09/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0696 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in Cisco TC Software versions prior to 7.1.0 running on TelePresence Collaboration Desk and Room Endpoints devices. This security weakness specifically affects the login page functionality of these video conferencing systems, creating a significant attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of authenticated user sessions. The vulnerability was catalogued under Bug ID CSCuq94977, highlighting its classification within Cisco's internal tracking systems for security issues.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the login page component of the Cisco TC Software. Attackers can leverage this flaw by crafting malicious payloads that are executed when the vulnerable system processes user input during authentication attempts. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that multiple input points within the login interface may be susceptible to injection attacks, potentially including username fields, password fields, or other authentication-related parameters. This weakness operates at the application layer and directly impacts the integrity of user sessions, as the malicious code executes within the browser context of authenticated users.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-0696 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal user credentials, redirect users to malicious websites, or even execute arbitrary commands within the compromised system's context. Given that these devices are typically deployed in enterprise environments where they handle sensitive video conferencing communications, the potential for data exfiltration and unauthorized access to collaboration systems is substantial. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on Cisco TelePresence solutions for critical business communications, where the compromise of authentication mechanisms could lead to complete system infiltration and unauthorized access to video conferencing capabilities.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to Cisco TC Software version 7.1.0 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the XSS vulnerability. Network segmentation and monitoring of authentication traffic can provide additional layers of protection while awaiting the deployment of official patches. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and input validation controls to detect and prevent malicious script injection attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting as a common web application security weakness, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 related to spearphishing attacks that often leverage XSS vulnerabilities for initial access and privilege escalation within targeted environments.