CVE-2017-12294 in WebEx Meetings Server
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in Cisco WebEx Meetings Server could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against a user of the affected system. The vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation of some parameters that are passed to the web server of the affected system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by convincing a user to follow a malicious link or by intercepting a user request and injecting malicious code into the request. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary script code in the context of the affected web interface or allow the attacker to access sensitive browser-based information. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvf85562.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/21/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-12294 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Cisco WebEx Meetings Server, a widely deployed collaboration platform that facilitates video conferencing and meeting management for enterprise organizations. This security weakness stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the web server component of the affected system, creating an exploitable condition that permits authenticated remote attackers to manipulate the application's behavior through maliciously crafted requests. The vulnerability specifically targets parameter handling within the web interface, where insufficient sanitization allows attacker-controlled data to be processed without proper validation checks that would normally prevent malicious content from being executed.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of input parameters that are processed by the web server, with attackers able to construct malicious links or intercept and modify legitimate user requests to inject harmful script code. This type of attack vector aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting vulnerabilities as weaknesses in input validation and output encoding where untrusted data is improperly handled. The flaw enables attackers to execute arbitrary code within the context of the user's browser session, potentially compromising the integrity of the web interface and exposing sensitive information that may be accessible through browser-based mechanisms. The exploitation process typically involves convincing victims to click on malicious links or intercepting existing traffic to inject payloads that can persist and execute in the victim's browser environment.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on Cisco WebEx Meetings Server for their collaboration infrastructure, as successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive meeting data, session hijacking, and potential lateral movement within network environments. The authenticated nature of the attack means that attackers must first gain valid credentials, but this requirement does not significantly reduce the threat level given the prevalence of credential compromise techniques and the potential for attackers to leverage initial access through other means. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of the web interface, potentially allowing attackers to access browser-based information that could include session tokens, user credentials, or other sensitive data that might be stored in the browser's memory or local storage mechanisms.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates released through Cisco's security advisory process, which would address the insufficient input validation by implementing proper parameter sanitization and validation routines. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while web application firewalls can provide additional protection layers against malicious input. The implementation of content security policies and proper output encoding mechanisms would further reduce the attack surface by preventing the execution of unauthorized script code even if input validation fails. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any other potentially affected systems within their infrastructure and implement regular security testing to ensure that similar validation weaknesses do not exist in other applications or services that might be susceptible to similar attacks, with particular attention to following the ATT&CK framework's methodology for identifying and mitigating web application vulnerabilities through systematic security controls and monitoring.