CVE-2017-6601 in Unified Computing System Manager
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the CLI of the Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) Manager, Cisco Firepower 4100 Series Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW), and Cisco Firepower 9300 Security Appliance could allow an authenticated, local attacker to perform a command injection attack. More Information: CSCvb61384 CSCvb86764. Known Affected Releases: 2.0(1.68) 3.1(1k)A. Known Fixed Releases: 92.2(1.101) 92.1(1.1647).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/27/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6601 represents a critical command injection flaw within the command line interface of several Cisco network security products including the Unified Computing System Manager and Firepower series appliances. This security weakness specifically affects the CLI implementation in the affected Cisco products, creating a pathway for authenticated local attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the affected systems. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the command processing mechanisms of these network security devices, allowing malicious users with legitimate access credentials to manipulate command execution flows.
The technical nature of this flaw aligns with CWE-77, which categorizes command injection vulnerabilities as weaknesses where untrusted data is directly incorporated into command strings without proper sanitization or escaping mechanisms. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can leverage their authenticated access to inject malicious commands that will be executed with the privileges of the affected system processes. This command injection capability enables attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including but not limited to privilege escalation, data exfiltration, system compromise, and disruption of network services. The vulnerability affects multiple product lines including the Cisco UCS Manager and Firepower 4100/9300 series appliances, indicating a widespread impact across Cisco's security portfolio.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations relying on Cisco security appliances for network protection, as it allows local attackers who have already established authentication credentials to escalate their privileges and execute unauthorized commands. The attack vector requires only local authentication, making it particularly dangerous in environments where physical or logical access to network devices is possible. The vulnerability impacts the integrity and confidentiality of the affected systems, potentially allowing attackers to modify system configurations, access sensitive data, or establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. Organizations utilizing these Cisco appliances face potential service disruption and security breaches when this vulnerability remains unpatched.
The remediation for CVE-2017-6601 requires immediate deployment of the vendor-provided security patches and updates, specifically targeting the fixed releases mentioned in the advisory including versions 92.2(1.101) and 92.1(1.1647). Organizations should implement a comprehensive patch management strategy that includes thorough testing of updates in controlled environments before deployment to production systems. Network administrators should also conduct immediate vulnerability assessments to identify systems running the affected software versions and prioritize patching efforts based on risk exposure. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, where attackers leverage local access to gain elevated system privileges through command injection methods. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous command execution patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should review and strengthen their access control policies to limit local administrative access to critical network infrastructure devices, reducing the attack surface for such local privilege escalation vulnerabilities.