CVE-2021-1246 in Finesse
Summary
by MITRE • 01/14/2021
Multiple vulnerabilities in the web-based management interface of Cisco Finesse could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack and obtain potentially confidential information by leveraging a flaw in the authentication mechanism. For more information about these vulnerabilities, see the Details section of this advisory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-1246 affects Cisco Finesse, a web-based management interface designed for contact center applications. This system serves as a critical component in enterprise communications infrastructure, providing administrators with web-based tools to manage and monitor contact center operations. The flaw resides within the authentication mechanism of the web interface, creating a significant security weakness that impacts the overall integrity of the system's access controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of authentication tokens and session management within the web-based interface. An attacker can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious requests that bypass the normal authentication flow, allowing them to execute cross-site scripting attacks against the system. This particular flaw represents a critical design oversight where the authentication mechanism fails to properly validate user credentials or session states, enabling unauthorized access to system resources. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery, and CWE-20, which covers Improper Input Validation, as the system fails to properly validate incoming requests and authentication tokens.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple XSS attacks, as it creates a persistent threat vector that allows attackers to maintain unauthorized access to the system. An unauthenticated attacker can leverage this flaw to inject malicious scripts into the web interface, potentially compromising user sessions and gaining access to sensitive information within the contact center management system. The attack surface is particularly concerning because Cisco Finesse typically handles confidential customer data, agent information, and operational metrics that could be exploited for further attacks or data exfiltration. This vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality and integrity of the system as outlined in the CIA triad, potentially enabling attackers to perform reconnaissance activities and gather intelligence about the organization's contact center operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-1246 should focus on immediate patch application from Cisco, which addresses the authentication bypass mechanism and proper input validation. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the Finesse management interface, restrict access based on need-to-know principles, and deploy web application firewalls to detect and prevent XSS payloads. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous authentication patterns and unauthorized access attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1190, which covers Exploit Public-Facing Application, and T1071.004, which addresses Application Layer Protocol: DNS, as attackers may use these techniques to establish persistence and exfiltrate data. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their contact center infrastructure to identify similar authentication weaknesses and implement comprehensive logging and monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts.