CVE-2015-4260 in Hosted Collaboration Solution
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Cisco Hosted Collaboration Solution 10.6(1) allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted value in a URL, aka Bug ID CSCuu14862.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-4260 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Cisco Hosted Collaboration Solution version 10.6(1). This weakness enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code through manipulation of URL parameters, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this collaboration platform. The vulnerability was catalogued under Bug ID CSCuu14862, indicating its classification within Cisco's internal tracking systems for security issues.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the application's web interface. When users navigate to specially crafted URLs containing malicious payloads, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages. This processing gap allows attackers to inject JavaScript code or HTML elements that execute in the context of other users' browsers. The flaw specifically affects the URL parameter handling mechanism, where unfiltered user input is directly incorporated into dynamic web content without adequate security measures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user credentials, access confidential data, or redirect users to malicious websites. Given that Cisco Hosted Collaboration Solution serves enterprise environments where users frequently access collaboration tools, the attack surface becomes particularly expansive. Successful exploitation could compromise the integrity of communication channels, leading to data breaches, unauthorized access to collaboration sessions, and potential lateral movement within network environments. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access or network proximity to exploit the vulnerability.
Organizations should implement comprehensive mitigation strategies including immediate patch deployment from Cisco, which would address the input validation deficiencies in the affected software version. Additionally, network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection by monitoring and filtering suspicious URL patterns. Security teams should also conduct thorough code reviews focusing on input validation mechanisms and implement proper output encoding practices. According to CWE standards, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, while ATT&CK framework categorizes this under T1566 for malicious HTML files and T1071 for application layer protocols. Regular security assessments and user awareness training regarding suspicious web content can further reduce the risk of exploitation in environments where immediate patching may not be immediately feasible.