CVE-2015-4246 in WebEx Meeting Center
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Cisco WebEx Meeting Center allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via an unspecified value, aka Bug ID CSCuv01955.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/03/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-4246 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Cisco WebEx Meeting Center software, classified under CWE-79 as an input validation weakness that permits malicious code injection. This vulnerability specifically affects the web-based meeting platform that enables users to participate in online conferences and collaborative sessions, making it a significant concern for organizations relying on secure communication channels. The flaw resides in how the system processes user-provided input values, particularly when handling unspecified parameters that are not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered in web responses. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that contain executable JavaScript code or HTML elements, which then get executed in the context of other users' browsers when they view affected content or participate in meetings.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities within the compromised user environment. When successful, the XSS attack allows threat actors to execute arbitrary scripts in victims' browsers, potentially leading to unauthorized access to meeting data, session manipulation, credential theft, or even complete compromise of user sessions. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of WebEx Meeting Center, which is widely used in enterprise environments for business-critical communications, making the potential attack surface particularly valuable to threat actors. The unspecified nature of the vulnerable parameter in the original description suggests that the flaw may manifest across multiple input fields or parameters within the web application, increasing the attack surface and exploitation potential.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which involves the use of malicious scripts to gain access to systems, and represents a classic example of how web application flaws can be leveraged to compromise user sessions and data integrity. Organizations utilizing Cisco WebEx Meeting Center were particularly vulnerable since the platform serves as a primary communication channel for many enterprises, especially those with distributed teams or remote workers. The attack vector typically involves sending malicious links or meeting invitations containing crafted payloads to target users, who then unknowingly execute the injected code when accessing the meeting content. This type of vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output encoding in web applications, as well as the necessity of implementing comprehensive security controls around user-generated content processing.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-4246 should include immediate implementation of Cisco's security patches and updates, which would address the underlying input validation deficiencies in the WebEx Meeting Center software. Organizations should also implement web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script injections, along with robust content security policies that restrict script execution in web browsers. Additionally, user education and awareness programs should emphasize the importance of verifying meeting invitations and avoiding suspicious links, particularly those containing unexpected attachments or meeting URLs. Network monitoring solutions should be configured to detect anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and security teams should implement regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar weaknesses in other web applications. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against persistent threats targeting web-based collaboration platforms.