CVE-2015-4255 in TelePresence IP Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability on Cisco TelePresence IP Gateway devices with software 2.0(3.34) allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users, aka Bug ID CSCuu90734.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/24/2022
The CVE-2015-4255 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in Cisco TelePresence IP Gateway devices running software version 2.0(3.34). This vulnerability resides within the authentication mechanisms of these video conferencing and communication devices, which are widely deployed in enterprise environments for secure video collaboration. The TelePresence IP Gateway serves as a crucial component in Cisco's unified communications infrastructure, handling SIP signaling and media streams for video conferencing endpoints. The flaw specifically affects the device's ability to validate the authenticity of incoming requests, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's trust model.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the device's insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms. When legitimate users authenticate to the TelePresence IP Gateway, the device establishes a session that should remain secure and tied to that specific user. However, the vulnerability allows remote attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to originate from authenticated users, effectively hijacking their authenticated sessions. This occurs because the gateway fails to implement robust CSRF protection measures such as origin validation checks or unique request tokens that would prevent unauthorized requests from being processed under an authenticated user's context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables attackers to perform privileged actions within the device's administrative interface. An attacker could potentially modify device configurations, add or remove users, change network settings, or even disable security features without proper authentication. This poses significant risks to enterprise communication systems where these gateways are often used to connect to sensitive internal networks. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on Cisco's TelePresence solutions for critical business communications, potentially allowing attackers to disrupt services, gain persistent access to network resources, or use the compromised device as a pivot point for further attacks within the network infrastructure.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to Cisco's patched software versions that address the CSRF implementation flaws, configuring network access controls to restrict administrative access to these devices, and implementing additional monitoring for suspicious authentication patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery, and corresponds to techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1566 for credential access and T1071 for application layer protocols. Network segmentation and the principle of least privilege should be enforced to limit the potential impact of exploitation, while regular security assessments should verify that all TelePresence IP Gateway devices are running patched firmware versions and that proper access controls are in place to prevent unauthorized administrative access.