CVE-2016-6359 in Transport Gateway Installation Software
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Cisco Transport Gateway Installation Software 4.1(4.0) on Smart Call Home Transport Gateway devices allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted value, aka Bug IDs CSCva40650 and CSCva40817.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/01/2019
The CVE-2016-6359 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Cisco's Smart Call Home Transport Gateway devices running installation software version 4.1(4.0). This vulnerability specifically affects the transport gateway functionality that enables secure communication between network devices and Cisco's support systems. The flaw manifests in the improper sanitization of user-supplied input values during the installation process, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of a victim's browser session.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation and sanitization of input parameters within the web interface components of the Smart Call Home Transport Gateway software. Attackers can craft malicious payloads containing script code that gets executed when the affected system processes and displays these values. The vulnerability's classification as a reflected XSS issue means that the malicious script is reflected off the web server back to the user's browser, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no persistent storage of the malicious content. This flaw aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities and represents a fundamental failure in input validation and output encoding practices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, manipulate data, and potentially gain unauthorized access to the underlying network infrastructure. Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability without requiring authentication, making it particularly attractive for widespread exploitation campaigns. The affected Smart Call Home Transport Gateway devices serve as critical communication endpoints for network management and support functions, meaning successful exploitation could compromise the integrity of the entire network monitoring and support ecosystem. This vulnerability directly impacts the CIA triad by potentially compromising Confidentiality through data theft, Integrity through data manipulation, and Availability through potential service disruption.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-6359 should include immediate deployment of Cisco's official security patches and updates, which address the input validation weaknesses in the affected software version. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to these critical devices and deploy web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script injection attempts. Regular security assessments and input validation reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other network components. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.007 for Scripting and T1566.001 for Spearphishing Attachment, highlighting the attack vectors and techniques that leverage such XSS vulnerabilities. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers and comprehensive input sanitization across all web interfaces will significantly reduce the risk of exploitation. Organizations should also consider network monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous script execution patterns and implement regular security training for personnel who interact with these systems to recognize potential social engineering attempts that might exploit this vulnerability.