CVE-2015-0697 in TelePresence
Summary
by MITRE
Open redirect vulnerability in the login page in Cisco TC Software before 6.3-26 and 7.x before 7.3.0 on Cisco TelePresence Collaboration Desk and Room Endpoints devices allows remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via unspecified vectors, aka Bug ID CSCuq94980.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/09/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2015-0697 represents a critical open redirect flaw within the authentication mechanism of Cisco TelePresence Collaboration Desk and Room Endpoints devices. This security weakness exists in the login page implementation of Cisco TC Software versions prior to 6.3-26 and 7.x versions before 7.3.0, creating a significant risk for organizations utilizing these collaboration endpoints. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to manipulate the redirection behavior during the authentication process, potentially compromising user sessions and enabling sophisticated social engineering attacks.
The technical nature of this flaw stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the login page's redirect parameter handling. When users attempt to authenticate to the TelePresence endpoints, the system processes redirect URLs without proper validation, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary URLs that will be followed after successful authentication. This weakness falls under CWE-601, which specifically addresses open redirect vulnerabilities where applications redirect users to untrusted domains. The vulnerability's exploitation occurs through unspecified vectors that likely involve manipulation of HTTP parameters or URL redirection mechanisms within the web interface of the telepresence devices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple redirection attacks, as it provides attackers with a pathway for conducting sophisticated phishing operations against authenticated users. When legitimate users log into the telepresence system, they may be unknowingly redirected to malicious websites that appear to be legitimate Cisco or corporate interfaces. This creates ideal conditions for credential theft, malware distribution, and other social engineering attacks that can compromise not just individual user accounts but potentially entire network infrastructures. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that these endpoints are often deployed in sensitive corporate environments where they may have access to internal networks and critical communication channels.
Organizations utilizing affected Cisco TelePresence devices should immediately implement mitigation strategies including firmware updates to the patched versions mentioned in the CVE. The recommended approach involves upgrading to Cisco TC Software version 6.3-26 or 7.3.0 and later, which contain the necessary fixes for the open redirect vulnerability. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing additional security controls such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious redirect patterns, and conducting regular security assessments of telepresence endpoints to identify potential exploitation vectors. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers phishing attacks, making it essential for organizations to enhance their user awareness training programs alongside technical mitigations to protect against this specific class of attack.