CVE-2017-3794 in WebEx Meetings Server
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in Cisco WebEx Meetings Server could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attack against an administrative user. More Information: CSCuz03317. Known Affected Releases: 2.6. Known Fixed Releases: 2.7.1.12.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3794 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within Cisco WebEx Meetings Server version 2.6. This weakness enables unauthenticated remote attackers to manipulate administrative users through crafted requests that exploit the server's trust relationship with legitimate administrative sessions. The vulnerability specifically affects the administrative interface of the WebEx Meetings Server, where the lack of proper CSRF protection mechanisms allows malicious actors to execute unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated administrators.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of anti-CSRF tokens in administrative endpoints. When administrative users navigate to compromised web pages or click on malicious links, the WebEx server processes requests without verifying that they originated from legitimate administrative sessions. This design flaw aligns with CWE-352, which categorizes cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities as weaknesses in web application security where applications fail to validate that requests originate from legitimate sources. The vulnerability exists because the server does not implement proper state validation mechanisms that would prevent unauthorized commands from being executed through user sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows attackers to perform administrative actions without authentication, potentially leading to complete system compromise. An attacker could leverage this flaw to modify server configurations, add or remove users, access sensitive meeting data, or even escalate privileges within the WebEx environment. This represents a significant threat to enterprise collaboration platforms where WebEx Meetings Server serves as a critical communication infrastructure. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access or network credentials to initiate attacks, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where administrative access controls are paramount.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement the patch available in Cisco WebEx Meetings Server version 2.7.1.12, which addresses the CSRF protection gaps through proper token validation and origin checking mechanisms. The mitigation strategy should include network segmentation to limit access to administrative interfaces, implementation of web application firewalls to detect and block malicious CSRF requests, and regular security assessments of WebEx server configurations. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts and conducting regular security training to recognize social engineering attempts that might exploit this vulnerability. The remediation process should also involve monitoring network traffic for suspicious administrative requests and ensuring that all administrative interfaces are properly secured according to CIS benchmarks and NIST cybersecurity guidelines. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper input validation and state management in web applications, particularly for administrative interfaces that handle sensitive operations.