CVE-2017-3802 in Unified Communications Manager
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in Cisco Unified Communications Manager could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against a user of the web interface of an affected system. More Information: CSCvc20679. Known Affected Releases: 12.0(0.99000.9). Known Fixed Releases: 12.0(0.98000.176) 12.0(0.98000.414) 12.0(0.98000.531) 12.0(0.98000.536) 12.0(0.98000.6) 12.0(0.98500.8).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3802 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Cisco Unified Communications Manager version 12.0(0.99000.9). This security weakness exists in the web interface component of the unified communications platform, creating an avenue for unauthenticated remote attackers to execute malicious scripts against unsuspecting users. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web application layer, allowing malicious payloads to be injected and subsequently executed in the context of a victim's browser session. The affected system operates as a comprehensive unified communications solution that integrates voice, video, and messaging services, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise enterprise communication infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability occurs when the web interface fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it within web pages. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious URLs or input parameters that contain script code, which then gets executed when legitimate users access the affected web interface. The vulnerability specifically affects the authentication mechanisms of the system, as no valid credentials are required to initiate the attack, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where multiple users may access the unified communications platform. This flaw aligns with CWE-79, which classifies cross-site scripting as a critical web application security weakness involving the improper handling of untrusted data within web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal user credentials, redirect users to malicious websites, or even gain unauthorized access to sensitive communication data. Enterprise organizations using Cisco Unified Communications Manager become vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks where attackers can intercept and manipulate communication sessions. The attack vector allows for privilege escalation through session manipulation and can potentially lead to full system compromise if combined with other vulnerabilities. This weakness particularly affects organizations relying on web-based interfaces for system management, as it undermines the trust model between users and the communication platform.
Security professionals should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability by upgrading to one of the fixed releases including versions 12.0(0.98000.176), 12.0(0.98000.414), 12.0(0.98000.531), 12.0(0.98000.536), 12.0(0.98000.6), or 12.0(0.98500.8) as recommended by Cisco. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the unified communications platform and deploy web application firewalls to detect and block malicious script injection attempts. Additional mitigation strategies include disabling unnecessary web interfaces, implementing strict input validation policies, and conducting regular security assessments of web applications. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and input sanitization as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and MITRE ATT&CK framework categories related to web application security and credential access. Organizations should also monitor for related vulnerabilities in the same product line and ensure comprehensive patch management processes are in place to prevent similar issues from affecting their unified communications infrastructure.