CVE-2017-7680 in OpenMeetings
Summary
by MITRE
Apache OpenMeetings 1.0.0 has an overly permissive crossdomain.xml file. This allows for flash content to be loaded from untrusted domains.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/26/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7680 affects Apache OpenMeetings version 1.0.0 and stems from an overly permissive crossdomain.xml configuration file. This file serves as a security mechanism in flash-based applications to control which domains can access resources within the application. The flaw allows for flash content to be loaded from untrusted domains, creating a significant security risk that can be exploited by malicious actors. The crossdomain.xml file is critical in establishing trust boundaries for flash content, and when improperly configured, it can undermine the security model of the entire application.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the improper configuration of the crossdomain.xml file which should normally restrict access to specific domains only. In the affected Apache OpenMeetings version, this file likely contains overly broad permissions that permit access from any domain, rather than restricting access to trusted sources. This misconfiguration creates an attack surface where malicious actors can leverage cross-site scripting techniques to load flash content from attacker-controlled domains, potentially leading to data exfiltration, session hijacking, or other malicious activities. The vulnerability directly relates to CWE-264, which addresses permissions, privileges, and access control issues in security configurations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it can enable attackers to bypass security controls that are normally in place to protect user sessions and data. When flash content can be loaded from untrusted domains, it opens possibilities for man-in-the-middle attacks, where malicious actors can inject their own flash content to capture user credentials or manipulate application behavior. This vulnerability particularly affects web applications that rely heavily on flash-based components for video conferencing, screen sharing, or collaborative features, which are common in open source meeting platforms like Apache OpenMeetings. The risk is amplified because flash content often has elevated privileges and can access sensitive user data or system resources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-7680 should focus on properly configuring the crossdomain.xml file to restrict access to only trusted domains. Organizations should implement a restrictive security policy that limits the domains allowed to access application resources, following the principle of least privilege. The recommended approach involves updating the crossdomain.xml file to explicitly list only trusted domains and their subdomains, rather than using wildcard entries that permit access from any domain. Additionally, organizations should consider migrating away from flash-based technologies where possible, as flash has been deprecated and poses numerous security risks beyond this specific vulnerability. Security monitoring should also be implemented to detect unauthorized access attempts and ensure that the crossdomain.xml configuration remains properly enforced, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol tunneling and T1566 for credential harvesting through social engineering. Regular security audits and updates to the Apache OpenMeetings platform should be conducted to prevent similar configuration errors from occurring in future deployments.