CVE-2021-39205 in Meet
Summary
by MITRE • 09/16/2021
Jitsi Meet is an open source video conferencing application. Versions prior to 2.0.6173 are vulnerable to client-side cross-site scripting via injecting properties into JSON objects that were not properly escaped. There are no known incidents related to this vulnerability being exploited in the wild. This issue is fixed in Jitsi Meet version 2.0.6173. There are no known workarounds aside from upgrading.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-39205 affects Jitsi Meet, a widely-used open source video conferencing application that has become increasingly critical for remote collaboration and communication. This client-side cross-site scripting vulnerability represents a significant security risk for organizations relying on the platform for sensitive meetings and communications. The flaw exists within the application's handling of JSON object properties, where certain input values are not properly escaped during processing, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject harmful scripts into the client-side environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within Jitsi Meet's JSON parsing mechanisms. When the application processes JSON objects containing user-provided data, it fails to properly escape special characters that could be interpreted as executable code by the browser's JavaScript engine. This weakness allows attackers to craft malicious JSON payloads that, when processed by the client application, can execute arbitrary scripts within the context of the user's browser session. The vulnerability specifically impacts versions prior to 2.0.6173, indicating that the developers identified and remediated this issue through proper escaping mechanisms and input validation improvements.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can potentially enable attackers to access sensitive user data, hijack sessions, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. In a corporate environment where Jitsi Meet is used for confidential business meetings, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to proprietary information, intellectual property theft, or disruption of critical communication channels. The absence of known exploitation in the wild does not diminish the severity, as the vulnerability creates a persistent risk that could be exploited by threat actors with sufficient knowledge of the application's architecture.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the CWE-79 weakness classification, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this as a technique involving client-side exploitation through web application vulnerabilities, potentially enabling subsequent stages such as credential theft or lateral movement within compromised networks. Organizations using Jitsi Meet should prioritize immediate upgrade to version 2.0.6173 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as no effective workarounds exist beyond the application update. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the upgraded version to ensure compatibility with existing deployment configurations and user workflows while maintaining the security improvements that address the JSON escaping deficiency.