CVE-2018-18819 in MiCollab
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web conference chat component of MiCollab, versions 7.3 PR6 (7.3.0.601) and earlier, and 8.0 (8.0.0.40) through 8.0 SP2 FP2 (8.0.2.202), and MiVoice Business Express versions 7.3 PR3 (7.3.1.302) and earlier, and 8.0 (8.0.0.40) through 8.0 SP2 FP1 (8.0.2.202), could allow creation of unauthorized chat sessions, due to insufficient access controls. A successful exploit could allow execution of arbitrary commands.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/13/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-18819 resides within the web conference chat component of MiCollab and MiVoice Business Express platforms, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the security posture of these unified communications systems. This vulnerability affects multiple versions spanning from 7.3 PR6 through 8.0 SP2 FP2, creating a substantial attack surface across both major releases. The flaw specifically manifests in the insufficient validation of user permissions and session management within the chat functionality, allowing unauthorized actors to bypass normal authentication mechanisms and establish chat sessions without proper authorization. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege that should govern all communication platform components, particularly those handling sensitive business conversations and data exchanges.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of session identifiers and access tokens within the web conference chat interface, where the system fails to properly validate user credentials before granting chat session access. Attackers can leverage this weakness to create unauthorized chat sessions that may persist beyond normal session lifecycles, potentially allowing for extended periods of unauthorized access to communication channels. The vulnerability's classification as a command execution risk stems from the fact that once unauthorized chat sessions are established, attackers can inject malicious payloads through chat messages that are then processed by the underlying system components. This creates a pathway for remote code execution, where malicious commands can be executed with the privileges of the affected system services, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-18819 extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass significant business continuity and data integrity concerns. Organizations utilizing affected MiCollab and MiVoice Business Express systems face the risk of eavesdropping on sensitive business communications, injection of malicious content into chat sessions, and potential escalation to full system compromise through the remote code execution capability. The vulnerability affects enterprise communication platforms that typically handle confidential business discussions, strategic planning sessions, and sensitive customer interactions, making the potential exposure particularly concerning. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-285: Improper Authorization, which specifically addresses insufficient access control mechanisms within software applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique under T1068: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, where initial unauthorized access is leveraged to gain elevated system privileges through command execution capabilities.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including patching affected systems to the latest available versions that contain proper access control fixes, implementing network segmentation to limit access to the affected components, and monitoring for unauthorized chat session creation through log analysis. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of comprehensive access control validation across all application components, particularly those handling user-generated content and real-time communication. Security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring for unusual chat activity patterns and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing unauthorized session creation and potential command execution attempts. Given the nature of unified communications platforms, organizations must also review their broader network security posture to ensure that such vulnerabilities cannot be exploited to gain access to other critical systems within their infrastructure. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched systems to ensure that legitimate access controls remain functional while addressing the specific authorization bypass vulnerability that enables unauthorized chat session creation and subsequent command execution capabilities.