CVE-2017-6651 in WebEx Meetings Server
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in Cisco WebEx Meetings Server could allow unauthenticated, remote attackers to gain information that could allow them to access scheduled customer meetings. The vulnerability is due to an incomplete configuration of the robots.txt file on customer-hosted WebEx solutions and occurs when the Short URL functionality is not activated. All releases of Cisco WebEx Meetings Server later than release 2.5MR4 provide this functionality. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability via an exposed parameter to search for indexed meeting information. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to obtain scheduled meeting information and potentially allow the attacker to attend scheduled, customer meetings. This vulnerability affects the following releases of Cisco WebEx Meetings Server: 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCve25950.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6651 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Cisco WebEx Meetings Server that exposes scheduled meeting data to unauthenticated remote attackers. This weakness stems from an inadequate implementation of the robots.txt file configuration on customer-hosted WebEx solutions, creating an unintended pathway for threat actors to access sensitive meeting information without proper authentication. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the Short URL functionality remains disabled, which is a feature introduced in releases beyond 2.5MR4. The flaw allows attackers to exploit exposed parameters to conduct searches for indexed meeting information, potentially compromising the confidentiality of scheduled customer meetings. This issue affects multiple server versions including 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, and 2.8, indicating a widespread impact across the product line. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which categorizes information exposure issues, and represents a significant breach of the principle of least privilege in security design. The attack vector operates through the web interface, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no authentication credentials to exploit. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability undermines the fundamental security assumptions of enterprise collaboration platforms, as it enables adversaries to gather intelligence about meeting schedules and potentially gain unauthorized access to protected sessions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of the robots.txt file configuration, which normally controls how web crawlers and search engines index website content. When the Short URL functionality is inactive, the server fails to properly restrict access to meeting data through the web interface, creating a directory traversal-like scenario where attackers can probe for indexed meeting information. The vulnerability leverages the exposed parameter mechanism to search through meeting data that should normally be protected, allowing unauthorized access to scheduled meetings and potentially enabling session hijacking or participation in confidential business discussions. This represents a classic case of improper access control where the system fails to validate user permissions for meeting data retrieval. The attack methodology involves systematic enumeration of meeting identifiers and associated metadata, potentially allowing threat actors to build comprehensive profiles of organizational meeting schedules. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple versions suggests a fundamental design flaw in the access control implementation rather than a simple configuration oversight. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) and T1566 (Phishing) as attackers could use the gathered information to craft targeted social engineering campaigns. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure, as successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized participation in sensitive business meetings, potentially resulting in intellectual property theft, competitive intelligence gathering, or disruption of business operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-6651 is significant for organizations relying on Cisco WebEx Meetings Server for enterprise collaboration and business continuity. This vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited by adversaries without requiring specialized tools or credentials, making it particularly dangerous for organizations handling sensitive corporate data, confidential negotiations, or proprietary discussions. The ability to access scheduled meeting information provides attackers with valuable intelligence for planning more sophisticated attacks, including targeted phishing campaigns or social engineering attempts against meeting participants. Organizations may experience reputational damage, regulatory compliance issues, and potential legal consequences if confidential business meetings are compromised through this vulnerability. The vulnerability also creates a risk for insider threat scenarios, as unauthorized access to meeting schedules could enable malicious employees or compromised accounts to target specific individuals or business units. From a business continuity standpoint, the exploitation of this vulnerability could disrupt planned business operations, particularly if attackers use the information to schedule disruptive meetings or attempt to interfere with critical business discussions. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects multiple versions of the server software, meaning organizations with older deployments may be at risk even if they have not upgraded to newer releases. Security teams must implement immediate mitigations including proper robots.txt configuration, access control reviews, and monitoring for suspicious parameter access patterns to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability.