CVE-2017-6673 in FirePOWER Management Center
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in Cisco Firepower Management Center could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to obtain user information. An attacker could use this information to perform reconnaissance. More Information: CSCvc10894. Known Affected Releases: 6.1.0.2 6.2.0. Known Fixed Releases: 6.2.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/26/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6673 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Cisco Firepower Management Center software, specifically affecting versions 6.1.0.2 and 6.2.0. This vulnerability resides in the authentication and authorization mechanisms of the management interface, creating a pathway for authenticated remote attackers to extract sensitive user information from the system. The flaw stems from inadequate access controls that fail to properly validate user permissions when processing certain API requests or administrative functions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows an attacker who has already established legitimate credentials to escalate their reconnaissance capabilities by accessing additional user data that should remain restricted. This issue manifests through the improper handling of user account information within the management console's backend services, potentially exposing details such as user roles, access levels, and other administrative information that could be leveraged for further attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a weakness in the privilege escalation framework where authenticated users can manipulate API calls or administrative interfaces to retrieve user information beyond their intended access scope. This behavior aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control vulnerabilities, and specifically demonstrates how insufficient authorization checks can lead to information disclosure. The flaw operates by bypassing normal access control validation mechanisms that should restrict user information access to authorized personnel only. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can potentially gather intelligence about other users within the system, including their roles, permissions, and access patterns, which significantly enhances their ability to plan targeted attacks. The vulnerability exists in the management center's user account management functions and is particularly dangerous because it does not require elevated privileges beyond initial authentication, making it accessible to any authenticated user within the system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables comprehensive reconnaissance activities that can significantly weaken the overall security posture of organizations using Cisco Firepower Management Center. Attackers can use the extracted user information to identify high-privilege accounts, understand system access patterns, and plan more sophisticated attacks against the network infrastructure. This vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality and integrity of the management environment, potentially allowing attackers to map the internal user structure and identify potential targets for privilege escalation or lateral movement attacks. The exposure of user information creates opportunities for social engineering campaigns, targeted phishing attacks, and other advanced persistent threat activities that rely on detailed knowledge of the target environment. Organizations may experience increased risk of successful attacks as attackers gain intelligence about user roles and access patterns, effectively reducing the security controls that should protect against unauthorized access attempts.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Cisco Firepower Management Center version 6.2.0 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this vulnerability. The upgrade process should include thorough testing in non-production environments to ensure compatibility with existing network configurations and security policies. Network administrators should also review and tighten access controls within the management center, implementing additional monitoring for unusual API access patterns or user information requests. Security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of user accounts and access permissions to identify any potential exploitation that may have occurred prior to the patch deployment. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1087.001 for account discovery highlights the importance of monitoring for unauthorized access to user account information within management interfaces. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and additional authentication controls to limit access to the Firepower Management Center to only authorized personnel, reducing the attack surface and potential impact of similar vulnerabilities in the future.