Guarding Against SQL Injection: Securing Your Cisco Firepower Management Center

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to conduct SQL injection attacks on an affected system.

This vulnerability exists because the web-based management interface does not adequately validate user input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the application and sending crafted SQL queries to an affected system. 

A successful exploit could allow the attacker to obtain any data from the database, execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system, and elevate privileges to root. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need at least Read Only user credentials.

Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability

What Is SQL Injection?

SQL injection is a type of security vulnerability that occurs when an attacker manipulates input data to execute arbitrary SQL queries against a database. In the case of Cisco FMC Software, an authenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted SQL queries to the web-based management interface.

Impact

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability can have severe consequences:

Data Extraction: The attacker can retrieve sensitive data from the database, including user credentials, configuration details, and logs.

Command Execution: By injecting malicious SQL queries, the attacker can execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system.

Privilege Escalation: If the attacker gains access to the database, they can potentially elevate their privileges to root.

Mitigation efforts by Cisco

Cisco has published free software upgrades to address the vulnerability mentioned in this advisory. Customers with service contracts that include regular software updates should receive security fixes through their usual update channels.

Customers can only install and receive support for software versions and feature sets for which they have acquired a license.

Cisco has promptly addressed this issue by releasing software updates. Organizations using Cisco FMC Software should take the following steps:

• Update: Apply the relevant security fixes provided by Cisco. Ensure that your FMC Software is running the latest version.
• Authentication: Limit access to the FMC interface. Only authorized users should have access, and unnecessary accounts should be disabled.
• Monitoring: Implement monitoring and intrusion detection systems to detect any suspicious activity related to SQL injection attempts.