CVE-2018-0135 in Unified Communications Manager
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in Cisco Unified Communications Manager could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to access sensitive information on an affected system. The vulnerability exists because the affected software improperly validates user-supplied search input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending malicious requests to an affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to retrieve sensitive information from the affected system. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvf17644.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/03/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0135 affects Cisco Unified Communications Manager systems, representing a critical security flaw that enables authenticated remote attackers to access sensitive information. This vulnerability stems from improper validation of user-supplied search input within the affected software components, creating a pathway for malicious actors to extract confidential data from targeted systems. The flaw specifically manifests in the application's handling of search parameters, where insufficient input sanitization allows crafted requests to bypass normal security controls and access restricted data resources.
This security weakness operates through a classic input validation attack vector that aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation as a fundamental software flaw. The vulnerability enables what security researchers classify as information disclosure through unauthorized data access, where an attacker with valid credentials can manipulate search queries to retrieve information they should not have access to. The exploitation requires only authenticated access to the system, making it particularly dangerous as it leverages legitimate user privileges to conduct unauthorized data reconnaissance. The affected Cisco Unified Communications Manager software fails to properly sanitize or validate search parameters, allowing malicious payloads to traverse the system's access controls and potentially expose sensitive communication data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it represents a significant compromise to the confidentiality of communication systems. Attackers could potentially access voice mail messages, user directories, call logs, and other sensitive telephony data that would normally be protected by the system's access controls. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the system's authorization mechanisms, as it allows authenticated users to perform actions beyond their intended privileges. This type of flaw falls under the ATT&CK technique T1074 for data staging and T1005 for data from local systems, as attackers could harvest sensitive information from the compromised communications platform. The impact is particularly severe for enterprise environments where Cisco Unified Communications Manager serves as a central communication hub for business operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-0135 require immediate implementation of Cisco's security patches and updates addressing the input validation flaw. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the affected systems and enforce strict access controls for communication platforms. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual search patterns or data access attempts that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of input validation controls and proper access control enforcement in telephony systems. System administrators should review and tighten authentication requirements for communication platforms, while implementing comprehensive audit logging to track all search activities. Additionally, regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar input validation weaknesses in other enterprise systems, particularly those handling user-supplied data through web interfaces or API endpoints. The remediation process must include thorough testing of patches to ensure they do not disrupt critical communication services while effectively addressing the input validation vulnerability.