CVE-2017-12323 in Registered Envelope Service
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple vulnerabilities in the web interface of the Cisco Registered Envelope Service (a cloud-based service) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack or redirect a user of the affected service to an undesired web page. The vulnerabilities are due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input by the web-based management interface of the affected service. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by persuading a user to click a malicious link or by sending an HTTP request that could cause the affected service to redirect the request to a specified malicious URL. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary script code in the context of the web interface of the affected system or allow the attacker to access sensitive browser-based information on the affected system. These types of exploits could also be used in phishing attacks that send users to malicious websites without their knowledge. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCve77195, CSCve90978, CSCvf42310, CSCvf42703, CSCvf42723, CSCvf46169, CSCvf49999.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/24/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-12323 affects Cisco Registered Envelope Service, a cloud-based communication platform that facilitates secure email delivery and document sharing. This service operates through a web interface that enables users to manage their envelope configurations and access shared content. The security flaws reside within the web-based management interface's insufficient input validation mechanisms, creating multiple attack vectors that could be exploited by unauthenticated remote attackers. The affected system processes user-supplied input without proper sanitization or validation checks, allowing malicious data to be interpreted as executable code or redirection commands.
The technical implementation of these vulnerabilities stems from inadequate sanitization of user input parameters within the web interface components. Attackers can exploit these weaknesses by crafting malicious HTTP requests that contain specially formatted payloads designed to bypass the validation controls. The vulnerabilities specifically enable cross-site scripting attacks where malicious scripts can be injected into the web interface and executed in the context of authenticated users' browsers. Additionally, the service's redirect functionality can be manipulated to force users to navigate to attacker-controlled domains, creating phishing opportunities that appear legitimate to victims. These flaws align with CWE-79 Cross-site Scripting and CWE-601 URL Redirection to Untrusted Site, representing fundamental web application security weaknesses that have been consistently identified as critical threats in web security frameworks.
The operational impact of these vulnerabilities extends beyond simple script execution, as they can be leveraged to access sensitive browser-based information and facilitate sophisticated phishing campaigns. An attacker exploiting these vulnerabilities could steal session cookies, access user credentials, or manipulate the service's interface to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users. The lack of authentication requirements for exploitation means that any user interacting with the malicious links or pages could become compromised, potentially affecting multiple users within the service ecosystem. These vulnerabilities particularly threaten the service's integrity and confidentiality, as they could enable attackers to intercept sensitive communications and document exchanges that the service is designed to protect. The attack vectors described in the Cisco bug IDs CSCve77195 through CSCvf49999 demonstrate the breadth of input validation failures across different interface components, suggesting a systemic weakness in the web application's security architecture.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the web interface. Organizations should deploy proper sanitization routines that filter or escape user-supplied data before processing or rendering it within the application context. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed. Network-based protections including web application firewalls and intrusion prevention systems should be configured to detect and block suspicious requests targeting the affected service. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar input validation weaknesses in other web applications. The remediation efforts should align with ATT&CK framework techniques T1059.007 Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1566 Phishing, as these vulnerabilities enable both code execution and social engineering attack vectors. Organizations should also implement user education programs to help identify potentially malicious links and communications that could exploit these vulnerabilities, while maintaining regular patch management procedures to address future security issues in the service infrastructure.