CVE-2017-11289 in Connect
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Adobe Connect 9.6.2 and earlier versions. A reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability exists that can result in information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2021
Adobe Connect versions 9.6.2 and earlier contain a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability that poses significant security risks to users and organizations. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically classified as reflected XSS where malicious scripts are reflected from the web server back to the user's browser. The flaw occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize user input that is subsequently reflected in web responses without adequate encoding or validation mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users through manipulated input parameters. When a victim visits a specially crafted URL containing malicious script code, the web application reflects this code back to the user's browser, executing the script in the context of the victim's session. This creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited to steal session cookies, credentials, or other sensitive information from authenticated users. The vulnerability specifically affects the authentication and session management components of Adobe Connect, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where privileged access is common.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass full session hijacking capabilities and potential privilege escalation attacks. Attackers can leverage this flaw to impersonate legitimate users within the Adobe Connect environment, gaining access to confidential meeting data, user accounts, and administrative functions. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that exploitation requires user interaction with a malicious link, typically through phishing campaigns or social engineering tactics that trick victims into clicking compromised URLs. This makes the attack surface particularly challenging to defend against since it relies on human factors in addition to technical weaknesses.
Organizations utilizing Adobe Connect 9.6.2 or earlier versions should immediately implement mitigation strategies including upgrading to patched versions of the software as recommended by Adobe. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and output encoding practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten security framework. Security measures should include implementing proper content security policies, deploying web application firewalls, and conducting regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities. Additionally, user education programs should be established to recognize suspicious links and phishing attempts that may exploit this vulnerability. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1566 for Phishing and T1071 for Application Layer Protocol, highlighting the multi-faceted nature of the attack vectors that can emerge from such reflected XSS flaws. Organizations should also consider implementing security monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous behavior patterns associated with XSS exploitation attempts.