CVE-2015-4208 in WebEx Meeting Center
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco WebEx Meeting Center does not properly restrict the content of URLs in GET requests, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information or conduct SQL injection attacks via vectors involving read access to a request, aka Bug ID CSCup88398.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/21/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-4208 affects Cisco WebEx Meeting Center, a widely used web conferencing platform that enables remote collaboration and online meetings. This weakness resides in the application's handling of URL parameters within GET requests, specifically failing to adequately validate and sanitize input data before processing. The flaw represents a significant security oversight that could potentially compromise the confidentiality and integrity of user sessions and sensitive data exchanges within the WebEx environment. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and falls under the broader category of insecure data handling practices that can lead to various attack vectors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation mechanisms in the WebEx Meeting Center's request processing logic. When users submit GET requests containing URL parameters, the application fails to properly restrict or sanitize the content of these parameters before using them in internal operations. This inadequate filtering allows malicious actors to craft specially crafted URLs that can manipulate the application's behavior. The vulnerability specifically impacts how the system handles read access requests, enabling attackers to potentially extract sensitive information or inject malicious SQL commands that could compromise database integrity. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that WebEx is used extensively across enterprise environments where sensitive business data and confidential communications are regularly exchanged.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with potential pathways for more sophisticated attacks including SQL injection exploitation. Remote attackers could leverage this weakness to access restricted resources, extract user credentials, or manipulate meeting data stored within the WebEx infrastructure. The vulnerability's presence in a widely deployed collaboration platform means that successful exploitation could affect numerous organizations simultaneously, potentially leading to widespread data breaches or service disruptions. Organizations using WebEx Meeting Center may experience unauthorized access to meeting recordings, participant information, or other sensitive data that should remain protected within the secure communication environment. This vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege and can undermine the trust that organizations place in their collaborative platforms.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying Cisco's official security patches and updates to address the root cause of the vulnerability. Network administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious GET request patterns that may attempt to exploit this weakness. The implementation of proper input validation mechanisms should be enforced at multiple layers including application-level sanitization of URL parameters and database query parameterization to prevent SQL injection attacks. Security teams should also conduct thorough audits of WebEx configurations to ensure that access controls are properly enforced and that unnecessary permissions are not granted to users. Additionally, implementing monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous URL patterns or unauthorized data access attempts will help identify potential exploitation attempts and provide early warning capabilities for incident response teams. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output encoding practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten security controls and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol tunneling and data manipulation.