CVE-2016-6395 in FireSIGHT
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the web-based management interface in Cisco Firepower Management Center before 6.1 and FireSIGHT System Software before 6.1 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted URL, aka Bug ID CSCuz58658.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2022
The CVE-2016-6395 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in Cisco Firepower Management Center and FireSIGHT System Software versions prior to 6.1. This vulnerability exists within the web-based management interface, which serves as the primary administrative portal for configuring and managing Cisco's network security appliances. The flaw allows authenticated remote attackers to execute malicious scripts by manipulating URL parameters, potentially compromising the security posture of organizations that rely on these systems for network protection.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the web interface components. When users navigate to specifically crafted URLs containing malicious script payloads, the system fails to properly sanitize the input before rendering it in the browser context. This weakness falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where untrusted data is improperly integrated into web pages without adequate sanitization or encoding mechanisms. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authentication to exploit, meaning that any user with valid credentials could potentially leverage this flaw to compromise other users within the same management interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal administrative credentials, manipulate security policies, or redirect users to malicious websites. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive network configuration data, modify firewall rules, or even escalate privileges within the management interface. The remote authentication requirement means that an attacker does not need physical access to the network infrastructure, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations with remote management capabilities. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts as a means of gaining access, and T1566 which covers credential harvesting through social engineering and web-based attacks.
Organizations utilizing affected Cisco Firepower Management Center or FireSIGHT System Software versions should immediately implement mitigation strategies including applying the official Cisco security patches released in version 6.1. Additional protective measures include implementing network segmentation to limit access to management interfaces, enforcing strict access controls through role-based permissions, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious URL patterns. Regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other network management systems, as this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in web-based administrative interfaces. The remediation process should also include comprehensive user education regarding the risks of visiting untrusted URLs and the importance of maintaining current software versions for all network security infrastructure components.