CVE-2016-2977 in Sametime Meeting Server
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Sametime Meeting Server 8.5.2 and 9.0 could allow a malicious user to lower other users hands in the meeting. IBM X-Force ID: 113937.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/10/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2977 affects IBM Sametime Meeting Server versions 8.5.2 and 9.0, representing a significant security flaw in enterprise communication software that impacts collaborative meeting environments. This vulnerability falls under the category of privilege escalation and user manipulation within secure communication platforms, where malicious actors can exploit the system to manipulate meeting dynamics and potentially disrupt collaborative workflows. The issue specifically allows unauthorized users to manipulate the hand-raising functionality that is fundamental to maintaining order and participation in virtual meetings, creating potential disruptions to business continuity and secure collaboration processes.
The technical flaw resides in the insufficient validation and authorization mechanisms within the Sametime Meeting Server's meeting management protocols. When users participate in meetings, the system typically maintains state information about participant actions such as raising hands to speak, which are critical for maintaining meeting秩序 and ensuring fair participation. The vulnerability occurs because the server fails to properly authenticate and authorize requests that modify hand-raising status, allowing malicious users to submit crafted requests that alter the hand status of other participants without proper authorization. This represents a weakness in the server's access control implementation and input validation processes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple disruption of meeting functionality to potentially compromise the integrity of business communications and collaborative processes. When malicious users can manipulate hand-raising status, they can create chaos during important business meetings, prevent legitimate participants from speaking, or otherwise disrupt the normal flow of collaborative discussions. This type of manipulation can be particularly damaging in regulated industries where proper meeting protocols and participant rights are critical for compliance and governance purposes. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to perform unauthorized actions that affect the meeting experience and potentially the business outcomes of those meetings.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns identified in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the technique of privilege escalation and manipulation of user interface elements. The weakness demonstrates poor input validation and insufficient access controls, which are frequently exploited in enterprise environments to gain unauthorized access to collaborative systems. Organizations using IBM Sametime Meeting Server are particularly vulnerable to this type of attack as it directly impacts the core functionality of the platform and can be executed without requiring elevated privileges beyond normal user access. The vulnerability also relates to CWE-284, which describes improper access control, and CWE-345, which addresses insufficient input validation, both of which are fundamental security principles that should be enforced in enterprise communication platforms.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates, implementing network segmentation to limit access to meeting servers, and monitoring for unusual patterns in meeting participation status changes. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing additional authentication layers and access controls that limit who can modify meeting parameters, while also establishing logging and monitoring solutions that can detect unauthorized modifications to meeting states. Regular security assessments of collaborative platforms should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other enterprise communication tools and ensure comprehensive protection against manipulation attacks that could impact business operations and data integrity.