CVE-2018-0411 in Unified Communications Manager
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Unified Communications Manager could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against a user of the web-based management interface of an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input by the web-based management interface of the affected software. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by persuading a user of the interface to click a crafted link. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary script code in the context of the interface or allow the attacker to access sensitive browser-based information. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvk15343.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/29/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0411 represents a critical security flaw in Cisco Unified Communications Manager's web-based management interface, specifically targeting the application's insufficient input validation mechanisms. This weakness creates a pathway for reflected cross-site scripting attacks that can be exploited by unauthenticated remote attackers without requiring any prior authorization or credentials to access the targeted system. The vulnerability stems from the web interface's failure to properly sanitize user-supplied input parameters, allowing malicious data to be processed and reflected back to users without adequate security controls. The affected software version demonstrates a fundamental flaw in its web application security architecture where input validation occurs too late in the processing cycle or not at all, creating an exploitable entry point for malicious actors seeking to compromise the communication infrastructure. The Cisco Bug ID CSCvk15343 specifically documents this issue within the company's internal tracking systems, highlighting the severity and impact of the vulnerability within their product ecosystem.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a carefully crafted malicious link that, when clicked by an unsuspecting user within the web-based management interface, triggers the reflected XSS attack. The attacker's payload is embedded within the URL parameters or other user-controllable input fields of the web interface, which are then reflected back to the victim's browser without proper sanitization or encoding. This reflected nature of the attack means that the malicious script code is executed in the context of the victim's session, potentially allowing the attacker to perform actions on behalf of the user or extract sensitive information from the browser environment. The vulnerability specifically targets the web interface's handling of user-supplied data, where the application fails to implement proper output encoding or validation before rendering user input back to the browser. The attack vector relies heavily on social engineering techniques to convince users to click malicious links, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where administrators frequently interact with web-based management tools.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to access sensitive browser-based information and potentially escalate privileges within the compromised session. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to manipulate the web interface's functionality, access administrative controls, or extract confidential data from the browser's local storage, cookies, or other session information. The reflected XSS attack creates a persistent threat vector that can be leveraged for various malicious activities including session hijacking, data exfiltration, or further exploitation of the communication infrastructure. Organizations using Cisco Unified Communications Manager face significant risk as this vulnerability can be exploited by remote attackers without requiring any authentication credentials, potentially allowing unauthorized access to critical communication systems. The impact is particularly severe in environments where the web interface is accessible to multiple users or where administrative privileges are maintained through the browser-based interface, creating potential pathways for privilege escalation and broader system compromise.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Cisco security patches and updates released to address this vulnerability, as well as implementing network-level controls to monitor and block suspicious traffic patterns. The remediation strategy should include thorough input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web application to prevent user-supplied data from being executed as code. Security configurations should be reviewed to ensure that the web interface operates with minimal privileges and that access controls are properly enforced. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect and prevent exploitation attempts, while user awareness training should be implemented to reduce the effectiveness of social engineering attacks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and represents a clear violation of secure coding practices that should be addressed through proper input validation and output encoding. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566 for credential access through social engineering, highlighting the multi-faceted nature of the threat. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other web applications within the organization's infrastructure, ensuring comprehensive protection against similar reflected XSS attacks across the enterprise environment.