CVE-2016-1298 in Unified Contact Center Express
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Cisco Unified Contact Center Express 10.0(1), 10.5(1), 10.6(1), and 11.0(1) allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via vectors related to permalinks, aka Bug ID CSCux92033.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/06/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2016-1298 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Cisco Unified Contact Center Express versions 10.0(1), 10.5(1), 10.6(1), and 11.0(1). This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The specific vectors involve permalink handling within the contact center platform, making this a particularly concerning issue given the widespread use of contact center solutions in enterprise environments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the permalink processing mechanisms of Cisco Unified Contact Center Express. When users navigate through the application or when the system generates permalinks for various contact center features, the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into web responses. This weakness creates an environment where malicious actors can craft specially formatted permalink requests containing embedded script code that executes in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the application layer and can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication or privileged access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and unauthorized access to sensitive customer information. In enterprise contact center environments, this vulnerability could compromise the confidentiality and integrity of customer interactions, potentially exposing personally identifiable information, financial data, and proprietary business communications. The attack surface is further expanded due to the nature of contact center systems, which often handle sensitive data and serve as critical communication channels between organizations and their customers.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches released by Cisco, implementing web application firewalls to filter malicious requests, and conducting thorough security assessments of their contact center environments. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers could leverage this vulnerability to deliver malicious payloads through crafted permalink links. Additional defensive measures should include input validation controls, output encoding mechanisms, and regular security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and access controls can also help limit the potential impact should an attacker successfully exploit this vulnerability in a compromised environment.