CVE-2015-6411 in FirePOWER Management Center
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco FirePOWER Management Center 5.4.1.3, 6.0.0, and 6.0.1 provides verbose responses to requests for help files, which allows remote attackers to obtain potentially sensitive version information by reading an unspecified field, aka Bug ID CSCux37061.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/26/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-6411 affects Cisco FirePOWER Management Center versions 5.4.1.3, 6.0.0, and 6.0.1, representing a significant information disclosure weakness that exposes system metadata to unauthorized parties. This flaw operates through the management center's handling of help file requests, where the system provides detailed verbose responses containing sensitive version information. The vulnerability specifically manifests when attackers submit requests for help files, which triggers the system to return an unspecified field containing version data that could be exploited for further attacks. This type of information disclosure represents a critical security gap that undermines the principle of least privilege and exposes the system's internal state to potential adversaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and response handling within the FirePOWER Management Center's help subsystem. When legitimate help file requests are processed, the system fails to sanitize or restrict the information returned in its responses, allowing attackers to extract version-specific data that reveals the exact software version, potentially including build numbers and patch levels. This behavior aligns with CWE-200, which defines information exposure vulnerabilities where systems inadvertently disclose sensitive information through responses to user requests. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and represents a classic case of insufficient output filtering that violates security best practices for maintaining system confidentiality.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it significantly aids attackers in conducting targeted reconnaissance activities. Once adversaries obtain the precise version information, they can correlate this data with known vulnerabilities specific to those versions, enabling them to craft more effective exploitation strategies. This intelligence gathering capability allows attackers to bypass initial detection phases and focus their efforts on version-specific exploits, increasing the likelihood of successful compromise. The vulnerability particularly impacts organizations that rely on FirePOWER Management Center for network security operations, as it provides attackers with the precise system information needed to plan sophisticated attacks against the network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and response sanitization within the help subsystem of the FirePOWER Management Center. Organizations should ensure that help file requests are properly filtered to prevent the return of version information, implementing access controls that restrict help file access to authorized personnel only. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to limit external access to management interfaces, reducing the attack surface available to remote adversaries. Additionally, regular patch management processes should be implemented to ensure that systems are updated with the latest security fixes from Cisco, addressing the root cause of this information disclosure vulnerability. The remediation approach should also incorporate monitoring and logging of help file access requests to detect potential exploitation attempts and maintain audit trails for security incident response activities. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining secure configuration practices and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that protect against information disclosure attacks as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework's reconnaissance and initial access phases.