CVE-2015-4240 in IP Communicator
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco IP Communicator 8.6(4) allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (service outage) via an unspecified URL in a GET request, aka Bug ID CSCuu37656.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/23/2022
Cisco IP Communicator version 8.6(4) contains a vulnerability that enables remote attackers to trigger a denial of service condition through malformed HTTP GET requests containing unspecified URL parameters. This vulnerability represents a classic buffer overflow or input validation flaw that occurs when the application fails to properly handle specially crafted URL strings. The issue manifests as a service outage that can disrupt communication services for legitimate users. The vulnerability affects the web server component of Cisco IP Communicator that processes HTTP requests, indicating a weakness in the application's request parsing mechanism. Attackers can exploit this by sending specifically crafted GET requests with malformed URLs that cause the service to crash or become unresponsive. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-121 as a stack-based buffer overflow, though the exact technical mechanism may involve heap corruption or memory management issues during URL processing. This weakness directly impacts the availability aspect of the CIA triad, as it can be leveraged to deny legitimate users access to communication services. The vulnerability does not appear to allow for arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation, but rather focuses on service disruption. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability can be exploited by attackers without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the service is exposed to untrusted networks. The attack vector involves sending malicious HTTP GET requests to the vulnerable web interface, which then causes the application to terminate or become unresponsive. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks. The vulnerability impacts Cisco IP Communicator's web-based management interface and can potentially affect all users of the service. The exploitation requires minimal technical skill and can be automated, making it a significant risk for organizations relying on this communication platform. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation to limit access to the vulnerable service and apply the appropriate vendor security patches. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices and highlights the need for robust error handling in web applications. The lack of proper URL parameter sanitization creates an avenue for attackers to manipulate the application's behavior and cause service disruption.
The affected system components include the HTTP server module within Cisco IP Communicator that handles incoming web requests. This vulnerability can be classified as a network-based attack that targets the application layer of the OSI model. The specific technical flaw involves improper handling of URL parameters during HTTP request processing, which can lead to memory corruption or application termination. The service outage occurs because the application fails to recover gracefully from malformed input and instead crashes or becomes unresponsive. This vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the core communication functionality of the IP Communicator system. The lack of authentication requirements means that any attacker with network access can exploit this vulnerability. From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability represents a low-effort, high-impact attack vector that can be automated. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially affecting business continuity and communication workflows. Organizations should implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual HTTP request patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as a denial of service issue places it within ATT&CK framework's impact category, specifically targeting availability. Network access controls and firewall rules should be configured to restrict access to the vulnerable service to trusted networks only. The patching process requires careful planning to ensure that service disruptions do not occur during the remediation phase. Security teams should conduct vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of the affected software within their environment. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple versions indicates a fundamental flaw in the application's input handling architecture. This type of vulnerability is often associated with legacy code that lacks modern security controls and defensive programming practices. The exploitation process typically involves sending a single malicious request that causes the service to fail, requiring minimal computational resources from the attacker. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to identify and alert on potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and error handling in preventing service disruption attacks.