CVE-2016-6451 in Prime Collaboration Provisioning
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple vulnerabilities in the web framework code of the Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against the user of the web interface of the affected system. More Information: CSCut43061 CSCut43066 CSCut43736 CSCut43738 CSCut43741 CSCut43745 CSCut43748 CSCut43751 CSCut43756 CSCut43759 CSCut43764 CSCut43766. Known Affected Releases: 10.6.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6451 affects Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning version 10.6, representing a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the web framework code that enables unauthenticated remote attackers to execute malicious scripts against system users. This vulnerability resides in the web interface components of the collaboration provisioning platform, which serves as a central management tool for Cisco collaboration solutions including unified communications and video conferencing systems. The affected system operates as a web-based management interface that processes user inputs through various form fields, search parameters, and configuration settings, creating multiple potential attack vectors for XSS exploitation.
The technical flaw manifests through insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web framework's processing pipeline. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that exploit vulnerabilities in how the system handles user-supplied data, particularly when this data is subsequently rendered in web pages without proper sanitization. The vulnerability affects multiple components within the web interface, as indicated by the numerous CSC identifiers referenced in the advisory, suggesting that the flaw exists across various input handling mechanisms rather than being isolated to a single function. This widespread nature indicates a systemic weakness in the input validation architecture, where the framework fails to properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as executable script code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of the victim's browser session without requiring authentication credentials. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, redirect victims to malicious websites, or extract sensitive information from the web interface. Given that Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning serves as a management interface for critical collaboration infrastructure, an attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially gain access to sensitive configuration data, user credentials, or system information that could be leveraged for further attacks within the network. The attack surface is particularly concerning as it affects the web interface that administrators and users interact with regularly, making it a prime target for exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate deployment of Cisco's security patches and updates released for version 10.6, which address the input validation and output encoding deficiencies in the web framework. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the affected system, restrict administrative access through secure authentication mechanisms, and deploy web application firewalls to detect and block malicious script payloads. Additionally, security teams should conduct comprehensive input validation reviews of all web application components, implement proper output encoding for all user-supplied data, and establish monitoring procedures to detect anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a technique commonly categorized under the ATT&CK framework's initial access and persistence phases where attackers establish footholds through web-based exploitation methods. Organizations should also consider implementing automated vulnerability scanning tools to identify similar weaknesses in other web applications within their infrastructure and establish regular security assessment procedures to prevent future occurrences of such input validation vulnerabilities.