CVE-2015-6404 in Hosted Collaboration Mediation Fulfillment
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco Hosted Collaboration Mediation Fulfillment 10.6(3) does not use RBAC, which allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive credential information by leveraging admin access and making SOAP API requests, aka Bug ID CSCuw84374.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-6404 affects Cisco Hosted Collaboration Mediation Fulfillment version 10.6(3) and represents a critical access control flaw that undermines the system's security posture. This issue stems from the absence of proper Role-Based Access Control mechanisms within the platform, creating a significant security gap that can be exploited by authenticated attackers. The vulnerability specifically impacts the system's SOAP API endpoints, which are designed to facilitate administrative operations and data exchange within the collaboration environment. The lack of RBAC implementation means that users who have authenticated to the system can potentially escalate their privileges and access administrative functions without proper authorization, directly violating fundamental security principles of least privilege and separation of duties.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through carefully crafted SOAP API requests that leverage existing administrative access to extract sensitive credential information from the system. Attackers who have already established authenticated sessions can use this flaw to bypass normal access controls and gain unauthorized access to privileged data. This particular weakness is categorized under CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and represents a classic example of insufficient authorization checks within web services. The vulnerability demonstrates how the absence of proper access control mechanisms in API endpoints can lead to privilege escalation and unauthorized data access, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where sensitive collaboration data and credentials are handled.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-6404 extends beyond simple credential theft, as it can enable attackers to gain comprehensive administrative control over the hosted collaboration infrastructure. This access could allow adversaries to modify system configurations, view confidential communications, manipulate user accounts, and potentially disrupt business continuity services. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on Cisco's hosted collaboration solutions for critical business operations, potentially exposing sensitive corporate data and undermining trust in the communication infrastructure. From an attacker's perspective, this flaw represents a low-effort, high-impact vector that can be exploited without requiring advanced technical skills or special tools, making it particularly attractive in targeted attack scenarios.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Cisco security patches and updates, implementing additional access controls through network segmentation, and monitoring API access logs for suspicious activities. The remediation process should involve comprehensive security assessments of all web services and API endpoints to identify similar access control weaknesses. Security teams should also consider implementing additional authentication layers such as multi-factor authentication and regular access reviews to reduce the attack surface. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation, demonstrating how legitimate administrative access can be leveraged for unauthorized activities. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure they can detect and respond to such credential theft scenarios effectively, as the breach could go unnoticed for extended periods.