Cisco Firepower Management Center: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command
CVE-2024-20424 is a critical-severity improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command vulnerability in Cisco Firepower Management Center from Cisco, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.9 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. Affected Cisco Firepower Management Center versions: 6.2.3; 6.2.3.1; 6.2.3.2, and others listed below. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.94% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 61% of scored CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Check which version of Cisco Firepower Management Center you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on sec.cloudapps.cisco.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco | Cisco Firepower Management Center | 6.2.3; 6.2.3.1; 6.2.3.2; 6.2.3.3; 6.2.3.4; 6.2.3.5; 6.2.3.6; 6.2.3.7; and 32 more ranges | Not stated |
| Cisco | firepower_management_center | 6.2.3; 6.2.3.1; 6.2.3.2; 6.2.3.3; 6.2.3.4; 6.2.3.5; 6.2.3.6; 6.2.3.7; and 32 more ranges | Not stated |
| Cisco | Secure Firewall Management Center | 6.2.3; 6.2.3.1; 6.2.3.2; 6.2.3.3; 6.2.3.4; 6.2.3.5; 6.2.3.6; 6.2.3.7; and 32 more ranges | Not stated |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 9.9 | Critical | CNA (cisco.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 9.9 | Critical | NVD |
Official description
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) Software, formerly Firepower Management Center Software, could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system as root. This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation of certain HTTP requests. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the web-based management interface of an affected device and then sending a crafted HTTP request to the device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands with root permissions on the underlying operating system of the Cisco FMC device or to execute commands on managed Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) devices. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need valid credentials for a user account with at least the role of Security Analyst (Read Only).
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command
The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command before it is sent to a downstream component.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- If at all possible, use library calls rather than external processes to recreate the desired functionality.
- For any data that will be used to generate a command to be executed, keep as much of that data out of external control as possible. For example, in web applications, this may require storing the data locally in the session's state instead of sending it out to the client in a hidden form field.
- For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
More Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command vulnerabilities (CWE-78)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Firepower Management Center
- 10.0 Critical severity
- 8.5 High severity
- 7.2 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
Recent Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command vulnerabilities
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 8.0 High severity
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