CVE-2022-20948: Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability in the Cisco BroadWorks Hosted Thin Receptionist Web Management Interface

A Critical Vulnerability, with the identifier CVE-2022-20948, has been discovered in the web management interface of Cisco BroadWorks Hosted Thin Receptionist, a widely used solution to manage telephony and communications services. This vulnerability could enable an authenticated, remote attacker to launch a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against a user of the interface, potentially resulting in unauthorized access to sensitive information or the execution of arbitrary script code.

Vulnerability Details

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient user input validation in the web management interface of the Cisco BroadWorks Hosted Thin Receptionist. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by tricking a targeted user into clicking on a maliciously crafted link, which would trigger the XSS attack.

The following code snippet demonstrates an example of a vulnerable script

function getUserInput() {
    var userInput = document.getElementById('userInput').value;
    return userInput;
}

function displayData() {
    var data = getUserInput();
    document.getElementById('displayData').innerHTML = data;
}

An attacker might exploit this by injecting arbitrary script code that could be executed in the context of the affected interface or used to access sensitive browser information. For example, an attacker might send a targeted user the following crafted link:

https://example.com/vulnerable-page.html?userInput=<script>maliciousCodeHere();</script>;

Impact

If this vulnerability is successfully exploited, the attacker could potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or execute arbitrary script code within the context of the affected interface, resulting in a potential compromise of an organization's telephony and communication infrastructure.

Mitigation and Workarounds

Cisco has released software updates addressing this vulnerability, and it is strongly recommended that affected organizations apply these patches as soon as possible to ensure the security of their systems. The updates can be found in the Cisco Security Advisory page: https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-broadworks-HTB-Sx3NS6c

Unfortunately, there are no workarounds available to address this vulnerability. As such, it is crucial to apply the software updates provided by Cisco to protect systems against potential exploitation.

Apply the software updates provided by Cisco promptly.

2. Educate users on the importance of not clicking on untrusted links, and encourage them to verify the authenticity of all links before clicking.
3. Regularly monitor and review user input validation mechanisms and implement proper security measures to minimize the likelihood of potential attacks.

Conclusion

CVE-2022-20948 is a serious vulnerability that could have significant repercussions if left unaddressed. Organizations using Cisco BroadWorks Hosted Thin Receptionist should prioritize the implementation of the provided software updates to mitigate the risk of unauthorized access or compromise. By staying vigilant and maintaining a strong security posture, organizations can protect their critical systems and data from potential cyber threats.

Timeline

Published on: 11/15/2024 16:15:24 UTC
Last modified on: 11/18/2024 17:11:56 UTC