CVE-2016-0355 in Sametime Enterprise Meeting Server
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Sametime Enterprise Meeting Server 8.5.2 and 9.0 could allow an authenticated user that has been invited to a Sametime meeting room, to cause the screen sharing to cease through the use of cross-site request forgery. IBM X-Force ID: 111894.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/10/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0355 affects IBM Sametime Enterprise Meeting Server versions 8.5.2 and 9.0, representing a significant security flaw in enterprise communication platforms. This cross-site request forgery vulnerability specifically targets the screen sharing functionality within Sametime meeting rooms, where authenticated users can manipulate the system to terminate active screen sharing sessions. The issue arises from insufficient validation of requests originating from meeting room participants, creating an avenue for malicious exploitation that undermines the integrity of collaborative sessions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate CSRF protection mechanisms within the Sametime meeting server architecture. When a user joins a meeting room and participates in screen sharing, the system fails to properly verify the authenticity of subsequent requests that control screen sharing operations. An attacker who has been invited to a meeting room can craft malicious requests that, when executed by the victim's browser, cause the screen sharing session to terminate unexpectedly. This occurs because the server does not adequately validate the origin or authenticity of requests that modify session state, particularly those related to screen sharing functionality. The vulnerability operates through standard web browser mechanisms where legitimate user sessions are leveraged to execute unauthorized actions without proper authorization checks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple disruption of screen sharing functionality, as it represents a broader threat to collaborative meeting environments and enterprise communication integrity. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to disrupt business meetings, potentially causing significant productivity losses and compromising sensitive discussions. The attack requires minimal privileges since only an authenticated meeting room participant is needed, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where meeting access is often granted to multiple participants. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1190 for exploitation of web application vulnerabilities. The ability to terminate screen sharing sessions could be used to hide malicious activities or disrupt critical business processes during collaborative sessions.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of IBM Sametime Enterprise Meeting Server, implementing proper CSRF token validation mechanisms, and configuring additional network-level protections. System administrators should review and strengthen access controls for meeting rooms, particularly considering that the vulnerability affects authenticated users who are already invited to meetings. The fix typically involves implementing robust request validation that ensures all screen sharing related operations originate from legitimate sources within the application context. Additionally, organizations should consider network segmentation and monitoring of meeting server communications to detect anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar CSRF vulnerabilities in other enterprise collaboration platforms.