Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This flaw affects Cisco Webex recording players on Windows and macOS. A malicious meeting recording file could run code if a user is persuaded to open it. The business risk is endpoint compromise through email or link-based social engineering, especially where staff handle Webex ARF or WRF recordings.
Executive priority
Treat as a high-priority workstation risk if Webex recording players are present. The issue requires user interaction, reducing worm-like risk, but successful exploitation gives full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact under the user's account.
Technical view
CVE-2021-1502 is a CWE-119 memory corruption issue caused by insufficient validation of values in ARF or WRF recording files. Exploitation requires local file handling and user interaction, but no credentials. Successful exploitation can execute arbitrary code with the targeted user's privileges. CVSS v3.1 score is 7.8 high.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on Windows or macOS systems with Cisco Webex Network Recording Player or Cisco Webex Player installed, especially where users open received Webex recording files. The source bundle does not provide exact affected version ranges.
Exploitation context
The documented attack path is a malicious ARF or WRF file delivered by link or email attachment and opened by the user. The bundle does not indicate CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence.
Researcher notes
The source bundle supports arbitrary code execution through malformed ARF or WRF parsing, but does not include version ranges, exploit availability, workaround details, or confirmed in-the-wild exploitation. Validation should focus on endpoint software presence, file-handling exposure, and Cisco advisory mapping.
Mitigation direction
- Review Cisco's advisory for affected releases and vendor-provided updates.
- Apply applicable Cisco Webex player updates from official vendor guidance.
- Warn users not to open unexpected ARF or WRF files.
- Reduce inbound exposure to untrusted ARF and WRF attachments where feasible.
Validation and detection
- Inventory endpoints for Cisco Webex Network Recording Player and Webex Player.
- Identify Windows and macOS systems that handle ARF or WRF recordings.
- Compare installed versions against Cisco advisory guidance.
- Review mail and endpoint telemetry for suspicious ARF or WRF file handling.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-119: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-1502 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- 20210602 Cisco Webex Network Recording Player and Webex Player Memory Corruption VulnerabilityCVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_CISCO
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer
Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.