CVE-2017-12371 in WebEx Network Recording Player
Summary
by MITRE
A "Cisco WebEx Network Recording Player Remote Code Execution Vulnerability" exists in Cisco WebEx Network Recording Player for Advanced Recording Format (ARF) and WebEx Recording Format (WRF) files. A remote attacker could exploit this by providing a user with a malicious ARF or WRF file via email or URL and convincing the user to launch the file. Exploitation of this could cause an affected player to crash and, in some cases, could allow arbitrary code execution on the system of a targeted user. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvf49650, CSCvg54853, CSCvg54856, CSCvf49697, CSCvg54861, CSCvf49707, CSCvg54867.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/25/2021
The vulnerability CVE-2017-12371 represents a critical remote code execution flaw in Cisco WebEx Network Recording Player software that specifically affects Advanced Recording Format (ARF) and WebEx Recording Format (WRF) file processing capabilities. This vulnerability exists within the media player's handling of specially crafted multimedia files that contain malicious code designed to exploit memory corruption issues during file parsing operations. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and memory management practices within the player's file interpretation routines, creating a pathway for attackers to execute arbitrary commands on targeted systems. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of Cisco WebEx Network Recording Player and is particularly concerning due to its remote exploitability through social engineering tactics that rely on user interaction with malicious files.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves buffer overflow conditions that occur when the affected player processes malformed ARF or WRF files. Attackers can craft malicious files that contain oversized data structures or malformed headers that cause the player's memory management functions to overflow, leading to stack corruption or heap corruption patterns. These memory corruption issues can be leveraged to overwrite critical program execution pointers, function return addresses, or other control structures within the player's memory space. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers stack-based buffer overflow scenarios. The exploitation mechanism typically requires the user to open the malicious file through the vulnerable player application, making it susceptible to phishing campaigns and malicious email attachments that leverage social engineering techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system compromise to include potential data exfiltration, persistent backdoor installation, and lateral movement within network environments. When successfully exploited, the remote code execution capability allows attackers to gain full system control over affected devices, potentially enabling them to install additional malware, establish persistence mechanisms, or use the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers can initiate exploitation without requiring physical access to target systems, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where users may encounter malicious files through email or web-based delivery methods. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation of remote services, and T1059, which involves command and script interpreter usage.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-12371 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from Cisco, as the vendor released security advisories and software updates to address the memory corruption issues in the affected player versions. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to WebEx recording files and consider disabling automatic execution of media files in email clients. Security teams should deploy endpoint protection solutions with behavioral monitoring capabilities to detect anomalous file execution patterns and network monitoring tools to identify potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, user education programs should emphasize the dangers of opening unexpected media files and encourage reporting suspicious email attachments. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and input validation, particularly for applications that process external media files, and highlights the need for regular security assessments of multimedia processing components within enterprise software ecosystems. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of unauthorized media players and ensure that only trusted versions of Cisco WebEx Network Recording Player are permitted on corporate networks.