CVE-2023-20180 in Webex Meetings
Summary
by MITRE • 07/07/2023
A vulnerability in the web interface of Cisco Webex Meetings could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attack on an affected system. This vulnerability is due to insufficient CSRF protections for the web interface on an affected system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by persuading a user of the interface to click a malicious link. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to perform arbitrary actions. These actions could include joining meetings and scheduling training sessions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/23/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-20180 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within Cisco Webex Meetings web interface components. This weakness stems from inadequate CSRF protection mechanisms that fail to properly validate and authenticate requests originating from the web application interface. The vulnerability specifically affects the web-based management and interaction components of Cisco Webex Meetings, creating a significant attack surface for remote threat actors. The flaw operates by exploiting the trust relationship between the web application and legitimate users, allowing malicious actors to manipulate user sessions without requiring authentication credentials.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic CSRF attack vector where an attacker crafts malicious web requests that appear to originate from legitimate users. When a victim clicks on a crafted link or visits a malicious webpage, the web browser automatically includes any relevant cookies or authentication tokens, thereby executing unauthorized actions on behalf of the authenticated user. This particular weakness in Cisco Webex Meetings web interface lacks proper anti-CSRF token validation, CSRF protection headers, or session management controls that would typically prevent such unauthorized operations. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to perform high-impact operations within the meeting platform without requiring user credentials or privileged access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or modification, as it enables attackers to conduct unauthorized meeting activities that could compromise organizational security and productivity. Successful exploitation could allow threat actors to join existing meetings, schedule new training sessions, or potentially manipulate meeting configurations and participant access controls. This capability creates significant risks for enterprises relying on Cisco Webex Meetings for business communications, as attackers could disrupt meetings, gain unauthorized access to sensitive discussions, or establish persistent access points within organizational networks. The vulnerability affects any user with access to the web interface who might inadvertently click on malicious content, making it particularly challenging to defend against in large organizations with numerous web interface users.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate the risks associated with this CSRF vulnerability. The primary mitigation strategy involves deploying proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms that are generated per session and validated for each request. Network administrators should also implement web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious cross-site requests, while ensuring that the web interface enforces strict session management controls. Regular security updates and patches should be applied immediately upon release, as this vulnerability represents a known weakness that attackers could actively exploit. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers and proper HTTP security headers can further reduce the attack surface, while user education programs should emphasize the importance of avoiding suspicious links and websites that could contain malicious content designed to exploit this CSRF flaw.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications, and corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments or links. The flaw demonstrates how insufficient input validation and lack of proper session management can create persistent security risks in enterprise collaboration platforms. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring and logging controls to detect unauthorized meeting activities that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that Cisco Webex Meetings is widely used in enterprise environments where unauthorized access to meeting data and participant information could constitute significant security incidents requiring immediate response and remediation.