Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center Software Command Injection Vulnerability

🚨 SEVERITY: MEDIUM — CVSS 4.9 Security Advisory

TL;DR 📌

A command injection vulnerability has been identified in the web-based management interface of Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) Software. This flaw allows authenticated attackers with Administrator-level privileges to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system. The highest CVSS score for this vulnerability is 4.9, classified as Medium severity. No workarounds are available, and software updates have been released to address the issue.

What happened 🕵️‍♂️

A vulnerability in Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center Software could allow an authenticated remote attacker with Administrator-level privileges to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system. This vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation of certain HTTP request parameters sent to the web-based management interface. An attacker would need to authenticate and send a crafted HTTP request to exploit this vulnerability successfully.

Affected products 🖥️

The vulnerability affects Cisco Secure FMC Software if lockdown mode is enabled. Lockdown mode is disabled by default. Other products confirmed not to be vulnerable include:

  • Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software
  • Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software
  • Secure IPS (formerly Next-Generation Intrusion Prevention System) Software

Fixed software 🔧

Upgrade to the first fixed release in your train (or later):

Release / Product First Fixed Release Notes
1.0 Initial public release.

Workarounds 🧯

There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.

Risk in context 🎯

With a CVSS score of 4.9, this vulnerability is classified as Medium severity. The risk is primarily associated with authenticated access, as an attacker must have Administrator-level credentials to exploit the vulnerability. The potential impact includes unauthorized command execution on the affected device, which could compromise system integrity.

Fast facts ⚡

  • Vulnerability: Command Injection
  • CVSS Score: 4.9 (Medium)
  • Exploitation: Requires Administrator-level access
  • Workarounds: None available
  • Fixed Software: Updates released, specific versions not listed

For leadership 🧭

This advisory highlights a Medium-risk command injection vulnerability in Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center Software. The exposure is limited to authenticated users with Administrator privileges, meaning that while the risk is significant, it requires specific credentials to exploit. Immediate remediation is necessary, as there are no workarounds available. We recommend patching within 7 days to mitigate potential risks.

  • Clear Now: Assess and identify any affected systems.
  • Next: Schedule and apply the necessary software updates.
  • Later: Monitor for any unusual activity and review access controls.

Operational impact is expected to be minimal with a brief maintenance window, and no configuration drift is anticipated.