CVE-2015-4256 in TelePresence IP VCR
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability on Cisco TelePresence IP VCR devices with software 3.0(1.27) allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users, aka Bug ID CSCuu90736.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/24/2022
The CVE-2015-4256 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw affecting Cisco TelePresence IP Video Communication Server devices running software version 3.0(1.27). This vulnerability resides within the web-based management interface of these video conferencing devices, creating a significant security risk that allows remote attackers to exploit the authentication mechanisms of authenticated users without their knowledge or consent. The vulnerability specifically affects the device's handling of web requests and authentication tokens, enabling malicious actors to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users who have established sessions with the device's web interface.
The technical nature of this flaw stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation within the device's web application framework. When users authenticate to the Cisco TelePresence IP VCR device through its web interface, the system generates authentication tokens that should be validated with each subsequent request to ensure the request originates from the legitimate user session. However, the vulnerability allows attackers to craft malicious web pages or send specially crafted HTTP requests that can leverage existing authenticated sessions without requiring knowledge of the user's credentials or session tokens. This weakness operates at the application layer and directly violates the fundamental principles of web application security, particularly concerning session management and request authenticity verification.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it enables attackers to perform administrative actions on the affected devices without authentication. This includes but is not limited to modifying device configurations, accessing sensitive system information, changing user accounts, and potentially disrupting video conferencing services. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means attackers can leverage it from outside the network perimeter, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that expose these devices to external networks or have inadequate network segmentation controls. The attack vector typically involves tricking authenticated users into visiting malicious websites or clicking on compromised links that automatically submit requests to the vulnerable device, effectively hijacking their authenticated sessions and executing unauthorized operations.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including applying the official Cisco security patches and updates released to address the specific CSRF implementation flaw. Network segmentation strategies should be enforced to limit direct access to these devices from untrusted networks, while implementing additional authentication controls such as multi-factor authentication where possible. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses, and represents a significant concern from an attacker perspective as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the technique of privilege escalation through session hijacking. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous administrative activities that could indicate unauthorized access attempts, and regular security assessments should be conducted to verify proper implementation of CSRF protection mechanisms across all networked devices and applications.