CVE-2023-45698 in Sametime
Summary
by MITRE • 02/10/2024
Sametime is impacted by lack of clickjacking protection in Outlook add-in. The application is not implementing appropriate protections in order to protect users from clickjacking attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-45698 affects the Sametime Outlook add-in through a critical deficiency in clickjacking protection mechanisms. This security weakness stems from the application's failure to implement proper defensive measures against clickjacking attacks, which represent a sophisticated class of web-based threats that manipulate user interactions through deceptive interface techniques. The vulnerability specifically impacts users who interact with the Sametime application through Microsoft Outlook, creating a dangerous attack surface where malicious actors can exploit the lack of protective measures to trick users into performing unintended actions.
Clickjacking attacks occur when a malicious website overlays transparent or opaque elements over legitimate web interfaces, causing users to inadvertently interact with hidden elements beneath. In the context of the Sametime Outlook add-in, this vulnerability creates an environment where attackers can craft malicious web pages that appear to be legitimate Outlook interfaces while actually executing unauthorized commands through the Sametime application. The absence of clickjacking protection mechanisms such as X-Frame-Options headers, Content Security Policy frame-ancestors directives, or frame-busting JavaScript code leaves users exposed to this sophisticated attack vector. This flaw directly relates to CWE-1021, which specifically addresses insufficient protection against clickjacking attacks, and represents a fundamental failure in the application's security architecture.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple user inconvenience to potentially serious security consequences for organizations relying on Sametime for communication and collaboration. When users are tricked into clicking malicious interfaces, they may unknowingly share sensitive information, execute unauthorized commands, or compromise their authentication credentials within the Sametime environment. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that Outlook is a widely used email platform where users frequently interact with various web-based applications, making the potential for successful clickjacking attacks more likely. This vulnerability undermines the trust model of the application and could lead to data breaches, unauthorized access to communication channels, or the compromise of sensitive corporate information.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including the deployment of appropriate Content Security Policy headers with frame-ancestors directives to prevent the application from being embedded in unauthorized frames. The implementation of X-Frame-Options headers with the SAMEORIGIN or DENY values provides an additional layer of protection against clickjacking attempts. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive assessments of the Outlook add-in's interface elements to identify any other potential vulnerabilities that might contribute to user confusion or manipulation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1531, which covers 'Account Access Removal', and T1203, 'Exploitation for Client Execution', as attackers can leverage the clickjacking vector to execute malicious code or manipulate user accounts. The remediation approach should include both immediate technical fixes to implement proper clickjacking protection mechanisms and long-term security awareness training to help users recognize potential phishing or social engineering attempts that might exploit this vulnerability.