CVE-2018-0396 in Unified Communications Manager IM
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web framework of the Cisco Unified Communications Manager IM and Presence Service software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against the user of the web interface of an affected system. The vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation of certain parameters passed to the web server. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by convincing the user to access a malicious link or by intercepting the user request and injecting certain malicious code. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary script code in the context of the affected site or allow the attacker to access sensitive browser-based information. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCve25985.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/18/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0396 resides within the web framework of Cisco Unified Communications Manager IM and Presence Service software, representing a critical security flaw that enables authenticated remote attackers to execute cross-site scripting attacks against legitimate users. This vulnerability specifically targets the insufficient input validation mechanisms implemented within the web server components, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by malicious actors to compromise user sessions and access sensitive information. The flaw exists in the handling of parameters passed to the web server, where proper sanitization and validation checks are inadequate to prevent malicious input from being processed and rendered within the user's browser context.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the web framework's failure to adequately validate and sanitize user-supplied input parameters that are subsequently processed by the web server. When an authenticated user interacts with the affected system through its web interface, the application fails to properly filter or escape potentially malicious input that could contain script code. This insufficient validation creates a pathway for attackers to inject malicious payloads that will execute within the victim's browser context when the affected web application processes and renders the malicious input. The vulnerability specifically affects the IM and Presence Service components of Cisco Unified Communications Manager, which are integral to enterprise communication systems and handle sensitive user data and presence information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution capabilities, as successful exploitation can lead to complete session hijacking and unauthorized access to sensitive browser-based information. Attackers can craft malicious links that, when clicked by an authenticated user, will execute arbitrary code within the user's browser, potentially allowing for cookie theft, session manipulation, or redirection to malicious sites. The attack vector requires authentication to the system, which limits the scope of potential exploitation but does not eliminate the risk, as authenticated users may be convinced to click malicious links through social engineering or may be targeted through intercepted requests. This vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality and integrity of the communication system, as attackers can access sensitive user presence information and potentially manipulate communication sessions.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations to protect their communication infrastructure, including applying the relevant Cisco security patches and updates that address the input validation deficiencies in the web framework. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, while user education programs should emphasize the dangers of clicking untrusted links within enterprise communication systems. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and follows ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script-based execution. Additionally, implementing proper input validation controls, output encoding, and content security policies can provide defense-in-depth measures against similar vulnerabilities in the web application framework. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify potential input validation weaknesses in other components of the unified communications platform that may present similar attack surfaces.