CVE-2019-15972 in Unified Communications Manager
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Unified Communications Manager could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to conduct SQL injection attacks on an affected system. The vulnerability exists because the web-based management interface improperly validates SQL values. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the application and sending malicious requests to an affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to modify values on or return values from the underlying database.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-15972 represents a critical security flaw within Cisco Unified Communications Manager's web-based management interface. This issue stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize SQL parameters, creating an avenue for malicious actors to manipulate the underlying database through crafted requests. The vulnerability specifically affects the authentication and authorization processes of the web interface, where user-supplied data is directly incorporated into SQL queries without adequate sanitization measures. The attack vector requires an authenticated session, meaning that an adversary must first establish valid credentials before exploiting this weakness, though this initial requirement does not mitigate the severity of potential impacts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which classifies SQL injection flaws as weaknesses that occur when user input is directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper validation or escaping mechanisms. The affected Cisco Unified Communications Manager system processes user requests through a web interface that fails to properly escape special characters or implement parameterized queries when handling database operations. This allows attackers to inject malicious SQL code that can manipulate the database structure, retrieve unauthorized information, or modify existing records. The flaw exists within the application's data handling logic where authentication tokens and other user inputs are processed through SQL queries without adequate filtering or encoding.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation as it provides attackers with the capability to compromise the integrity and confidentiality of communication systems managed by Cisco Unified Communications Manager. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to access sensitive communication data, modify user accounts, alter system configurations, or even escalate privileges within the communication infrastructure. The web-based management interface serves as a critical administrative entry point for maintaining and configuring voice communication systems, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could allow attackers to disrupt business communications or gain persistent access to enterprise networks. The vulnerability affects organizations relying on Cisco's unified communications solutions, potentially compromising hundreds or thousands of communication endpoints depending on the system configuration.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-15972 should focus on implementing proper input validation and parameterized query execution throughout the web interface components. Organizations should ensure that all user inputs are properly sanitized and that the application employs prepared statements or parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection attacks. Cisco has released patches and updates addressing this vulnerability, which should be implemented immediately across all affected systems. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit the potential impact of credential compromise, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual database access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and conducting regular security assessments of web applications to identify and remediate similar weaknesses. Organizations should consider implementing database activity monitoring solutions and maintain comprehensive backup procedures to ensure rapid recovery in case of successful exploitation attempts.