CVE-2020-3347 in Webex Meetings Desktop App
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in Cisco Webex Meetings Desktop App for Windows could allow an authenticated, local attacker to gain access to sensitive information on an affected system. The vulnerability is due to unsafe usage of shared memory that is used by the affected software. An attacker with permissions to view system memory could exploit this vulnerability by running an application on the local system that is designed to read shared memory. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to retrieve sensitive information from the shared memory, including usernames, meeting information, or authentication tokens that could aid the attacker in future attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/25/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-3347 represents a critical security flaw in Cisco Webex Meetings Desktop App for Windows operating systems. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of shared memory mechanisms within the application's architecture, creating an exploitable condition that could be leveraged by malicious actors with local system access. The flaw specifically manifests in the application's failure to implement proper memory isolation and access controls when utilizing shared memory segments that contain sensitive data. This issue affects the fundamental security posture of the application by exposing confidential information through memory access channels that should remain protected from unauthorized inspection.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the application's reliance on shared memory segments that contain authentication tokens, user credentials, and meeting-related data without adequate protection mechanisms. When an authenticated local user executes malicious code on the system, the attacker can potentially access these shared memory regions and extract sensitive information. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-254 as it represents a weakness in memory protection mechanisms, specifically involving inadequate access control over shared resources. This flaw enables a local privilege escalation scenario where an attacker with basic user permissions can access data that should remain restricted to the application's internal processes.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations relying on Cisco Webex Meetings for business communications and collaboration. The extraction of authentication tokens and user credentials could enable attackers to conduct credential stuffing attacks against other systems, perform unauthorized meetings, or access sensitive corporate data. The vulnerability's exploitation requires only local system access, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by malware or insider threats without requiring network-based attack vectors. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566.001 for credential harvesting through social engineering, as the compromised credentials could be used for further lateral movement within networks. The exposed meeting information and user data could also facilitate targeted attacks or social engineering campaigns against specific individuals within organizations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-3347 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from Cisco to address the shared memory handling vulnerability. Organizations should implement additional controls including memory access monitoring, application whitelisting, and regular security assessments of desktop applications. System administrators should consider disabling unnecessary shared memory usage where possible and implement proper memory protection mechanisms such as address space layout randomization and data execution prevention. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management practices and adherence to secure coding standards, particularly when handling sensitive data in multi-process environments. Organizations should also conduct security awareness training to prevent local system compromise through social engineering or malicious software installation that could exploit this vulnerability. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should include examination of shared memory usage patterns to identify similar security flaws in other applications.