CVE-2016-9200 in Prime Collaboration Assurance
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web framework code of Cisco Prime Collaboration Assurance could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against the user of the web interface. More Information: CSCut43268. Known Affected Releases: 10.5(1) 10.6.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/06/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-9200 resides within Cisco Prime Collaboration Assurance web framework code, representing a critical cross-site scripting flaw that undermines the security posture of the platform. This vulnerability specifically affects versions 10.5(1) and 10.6 of the software, creating a significant attack surface for unauthenticated remote adversaries who can exploit the weakness without requiring any prior credentials or privileged access. The affected system operates as a web-based interface management tool, making it particularly susceptible to web-based attacks that target user sessions and browser interactions.
The technical flaw manifests through inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web framework components of Cisco Prime Collaboration Assurance. When user-supplied data is processed and subsequently rendered in the web interface without proper sanitization, malicious scripts can be injected and executed within the context of other users' browsers. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically representing a stored or reflected XSS attack vector that allows attackers to manipulate the web application's behavior and potentially escalate their privileges. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects the administrative web interface, potentially providing attackers with access to sensitive collaboration data and system configurations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, and potentially gain access to confidential collaboration data within the Prime Collaboration Assurance environment. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to conduct session hijacking attacks, redirect users to malicious websites, or execute arbitrary code within the victim's browser context. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the network or system. This weakness particularly affects organizations using Cisco Prime Collaboration Assurance for managing their unified communications infrastructure, potentially compromising the integrity of their collaboration environments.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches provided by Cisco, which address the input validation issues within the web framework components. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection by monitoring and filtering malicious traffic targeting the vulnerable web interface. Regular security assessments and input validation testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the broader application ecosystem. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for 'Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript' and T1566.001 for 'Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment', highlighting the attack vectors and potential exploitation methods that security teams should monitor for in their defensive strategies. Additionally, implementing proper output encoding and content security policies within the web application framework can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future releases.