CVE-2017-12857 in SoundStation IP
Summary
by MITRE
Polycom SoundStation IP, VVX, and RealPresence Trio that are running software older than UCS 4.0.12, 5.4.5 rev AG, 5.4.7, 5.5.2, or 5.6.0 are affected by a vulnerability in their UCS web application. This vulnerability could allow an authenticated remote attacker to read a segment of the phone's memory which could contain an administrator's password or other sensitive information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/10/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-12857 affects Polycom communication devices including SoundStation IP, VVX, and RealPresence Trio series that operate on outdated software versions. This represents a critical security flaw within the Unified Communications Software (UCS) web application component that governs these devices. The vulnerability stems from improper memory handling within the web interface, creating an exploitable condition that enables authenticated remote attackers to access sensitive memory segments. The affected software versions include UCS 4.0.12, 5.4.5 rev AG, 5.4.7, 5.5.2, and 5.6.0, indicating that devices running software prior to these releases remain susceptible to exploitation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which describes "Information Exposure," and represents a classic case of insufficient access control in web applications. The flaw allows an authenticated attacker to perform memory read operations that could expose administrative credentials and other sensitive data stored in the device's memory space. This type of vulnerability typically occurs when applications fail to properly validate or sanitize memory access requests, particularly in web interfaces that handle user authentication and system management functions. The memory segments accessed contain critical information that could be leveraged for privilege escalation or unauthorized system access.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to enterprise communication infrastructure as it enables remote attackers with valid credentials to escalate their privileges and access administrative functions. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure since administrator passwords and other sensitive information could be used to gain full control over the communication devices, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to modify device configurations, intercept communications, or establish persistent access points within the network. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries do not require physical access or network proximity to exploit the vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with distributed communication systems.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including mandatory software updates to the latest supported UCS versions, which address this memory exposure vulnerability. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit the attack surface and reduce the potential impact of credential compromise. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining affected devices within the network infrastructure. The remediation process should also include monitoring for suspicious authentication attempts and implementing additional authentication controls such as multi-factor authentication. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current firmware versions and following security best practices for networked communication devices as outlined in various cybersecurity frameworks including the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO 27001 standards.