CVE-2018-0328 in Unified Communications Manager
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web framework of Cisco Unified Communications Manager and Cisco Unified Presence 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. The vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation of certain parameters that are passed to the affected software via the HTTP GET and HTTP POST methods. An attacker who can convince a user to follow an attacker-supplied link could execute arbitrary script or HTML code in the user's browser in the context of an affected site. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvg89116.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/14/2023
The vulnerability described in CVE-2018-0328 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness within Cisco's unified communications platforms, specifically affecting Cisco Unified Communications Manager and Cisco Unified Presence systems. This flaw exists within the web framework components that handle user interface interactions, creating an exploitable entry point for remote attackers who require no authentication credentials to initiate attacks. The vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input parameters that flow through standard web communication protocols, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged through common web browsing activities without requiring privileged access to the target systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the affected software fails to properly validate or sanitize input parameters received through HTTP GET and HTTP POST requests. When users navigate to maliciously crafted URLs or interact with compromised web pages that contain attacker-controlled script code, the vulnerable application processes these inputs without adequate filtering mechanisms. This processing allows malicious scripts to be executed within the user's browser context, effectively bypassing the security boundaries that normally protect web applications from unauthorized code execution. The flaw specifically impacts the web interface components that handle user authentication and session management, creating opportunities for attackers to hijack user sessions or redirect victims to malicious websites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable sophisticated attack vectors including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to phishing sites. Attackers can craft malicious URLs that, when clicked by unsuspecting users, execute scripts that steal session cookies or capture login credentials from the targeted applications. The remote nature of this attack means that threat actors can exploit the vulnerability from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the network or systems. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments and T1531 for lateral movement through web application exploitation, making it a particularly dangerous weakness for enterprise communications environments.
Organizations running affected Cisco systems face significant risk exposure when this vulnerability remains unpatched, as it can lead to complete compromise of user sessions and potential data breaches. The lack of authentication requirements for exploitation makes this vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors who can scale their attacks across large user bases. Mitigation strategies should include immediate deployment of Cisco's security patches and advisories, implementation of web application firewalls to filter malicious requests, and enhanced user education regarding suspicious links and web interactions. Network segmentation and monitoring of web traffic can help detect potential exploitation attempts, while regular security assessments should verify that input validation mechanisms are properly configured to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the unified communications infrastructure. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation as outlined in CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting weaknesses in web applications and highlights the need for comprehensive sanitization of all user-supplied data before processing.