CVE-2020-27154 in BusinessCTI Enterprise Client
Summary
by MITRE • 12/18/2020
The chat window of Mitel BusinessCTI Enterprise (MBC-E) Client for Windows before 6.4.11 and 7.x before 7.0.3 could allow an attacker to gain access to user information by sending arbitrary code, due to improper input validation. A successful exploit could allow an attacker to view the user information and application data.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/18/2020
The vulnerability in Mitel BusinessCTI Enterprise client for Windows represents a critical security flaw that enables remote code execution through improper input validation mechanisms. This issue affects versions prior to 6.4.11 and 7.x before 7.0.3, creating an attack surface where malicious actors can exploit the lack of proper sanitization to inject arbitrary code into the system. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user inputs within the chat window functionality, which allows attackers to craft specially crafted payloads that bypass normal security controls.
The technical implementation of this flaw demonstrates a classic path traversal and code injection vulnerability where input from untrusted sources is directly processed without adequate sanitization or escaping mechanisms. This weakness enables an attacker to execute arbitrary commands within the context of the running application, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The attack vector specifically targets the chat window component, which likely processes user messages and other interactive elements without proper validation, creating a direct pathway for malicious code execution.
From an operational perspective, successful exploitation of this vulnerability could result in unauthorized access to sensitive user information including personal data, communication logs, and application configuration details. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as the arbitrary code execution capability allows attackers to escalate privileges, establish persistent backdoors, or exfiltrate data from the compromised system. Organizations utilizing these affected versions face significant risk of data breaches and potential regulatory compliance violations.
The vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-74 for improper neutralization of special elements in output used by a downstream component and CWE-94 for execution of arbitrary code or commands, both of which are fundamental to the attack scenario. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to multiple ATT&CK techniques including T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions, implementing network segmentation, and monitoring for suspicious code execution patterns in affected systems.
The remediation approach requires comprehensive patch management across all affected Mitel BusinessCTI Enterprise installations, with particular attention to the chat window components that handle user input processing. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and implement network-based controls such as intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. Additionally, application-level defenses including input validation frameworks and runtime application self-protection mechanisms should be deployed to provide defense-in-depth against similar vulnerabilities in the future.