CVE-2015-6331 in Prime Collaboration Assurance
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in the web framework in Cisco Prime Collaboration Assurance 10.5(1) allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary SQL commands via unspecified vectors, aka Bug ID CSCus39887.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/20/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-6331 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within Cisco Prime Collaboration Assurance version 10.5(1) web framework. This vulnerability affects the enterprise collaboration and assurance platform that organizations use to manage and monitor their unified communications infrastructure. The flaw exists in the web application layer of the software, specifically within the framework responsible for processing user inputs and database interactions. Security researchers have classified this issue as a remote authenticated vulnerability, meaning that an attacker must first establish valid credentials to exploit the flaw, but once authenticated, they can leverage the vulnerability to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the web application's database query construction mechanisms. When authenticated users submit data through the web interface, the application fails to properly escape or parameterize user-supplied inputs before incorporating them into SQL queries. This allows malicious actors to inject specially crafted SQL payloads that can manipulate the database operations. The vulnerability manifests through unspecified vectors, indicating that multiple entry points within the application's web framework could be exploited, potentially including form fields, URL parameters, or API endpoints that process user data. The absence of specific vector details in the initial disclosure suggests that the flaw may be widespread across multiple components of the application's data handling processes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or manipulation, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary commands on the database server. This level of access enables adversaries to extract sensitive information including user credentials, system configurations, and potentially confidential business data. The vulnerability could also allow attackers to modify or delete database records, potentially disrupting the integrity of the collaboration assurance platform's monitoring and management functions. Given that Cisco Prime Collaboration Assurance is designed for enterprise environments, successful exploitation could lead to significant business disruption, data breaches, and compromise of the entire unified communications infrastructure. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors could potentially exploit this vulnerability from external networks without requiring physical access to the organization's premises, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with remote workers or distributed network environments.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the official Cisco security patches released for this issue, which would address the input validation flaws in the web framework. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit the attack surface, particularly for the collaboration assurance platform. Monitoring and logging of database activities should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts, with particular attention to unusual SQL query patterns or unauthorized database access. Security teams should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of other Cisco products running similar web frameworks to identify potential similar flaws. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws, and falls under ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and database activity monitoring solutions to provide additional defense-in-depth measures against similar attacks targeting database systems. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate other potential injection flaws in the enterprise application portfolio.