CVE-2023-45696 in Sametime
Summary
by MITRE • 02/10/2024
Sametime is impacted by sensitive fields with autocomplete enabled in the Legacy web chat client. By default, this allows user entered data to be stored by the browser.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/03/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-45696 affects the Sametime legacy web chat client where sensitive fields have autocomplete functionality enabled by default. This configuration creates a security risk where user-entered data is automatically stored by the browser's autocomplete mechanism, potentially exposing confidential information. The issue stems from the improper handling of sensitive data input fields within the web application's user interface, where developers failed to disable browser autocomplete features for fields containing potentially sensitive information.
This vulnerability represents a classic case of insufficient input validation and output encoding, classified under CWE-312 (Sensitive Data Exposure) and CWE-200 (Information Exposure). The flaw allows for data persistence in browser storage mechanisms such as autocomplete caches, local storage, or session storage, which can be accessed by other applications running on the same system or by malicious actors who gain access to the user's browser session. The legacy web chat client's design does not adequately consider the security implications of browser-level data storage mechanisms for sensitive fields.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it creates potential attack vectors for credential harvesting, personal identifiable information theft, and session hijacking. When users enter sensitive data such as passwords, personal identification numbers, or confidential messages into fields that support autocomplete, this information becomes persistently stored in the browser cache. Attackers can exploit this behavior through various means including cross-site scripting attacks, local malware, or by gaining physical access to the compromised system where the browser cache is stored.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 (Account Access Removal) and T1552 (Unsecured Credentials) as it creates opportunities for unauthorized access to user data through browser cache exploitation. The risk is particularly elevated in enterprise environments where users may be accessing the Sametime client from shared or public computers, or when the browser cache is not properly secured. The default configuration without explicit security controls for sensitive fields violates the principle of least privilege and fails to implement proper data sanitization mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-45696 should focus on disabling browser autocomplete functionality for sensitive input fields within the Sametime legacy web chat client. Organizations should implement explicit autocomplete="off" attributes on all sensitive data input fields and consider additional security measures such as implementing proper input sanitization, regular browser cache clearing policies, and user education regarding browser security settings. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of conducting regular security assessments of legacy web applications to identify and remediate similar configuration issues that may expose sensitive data through unintended browser features.