CVE-2019-12701 in FirePOWER Management Center
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the file and malware inspection feature of Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass the file and malware inspection policies on an affected system. The vulnerability exists because the affected software insufficiently validates incoming traffic. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request through an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass the file and malware inspection policies and send malicious traffic through the affected device.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-12701 represents a critical security flaw within Cisco Firepower Management Center software that compromises the integrity of network security policies. This issue specifically targets the file and malware inspection capabilities that are fundamental to protecting enterprise networks from malicious content. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation mechanisms within the software's traffic processing pipeline, creating an exploitable gap that adversaries can leverage to circumvent security controls. The affected Cisco Firepower Management Center software operates as a central management platform for firewalls and intrusion prevention systems, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can undermine the security posture of entire network infrastructures.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through insufficient input validation of HTTP requests processed by the affected system. When the FMC software receives incoming HTTP traffic, it fails to properly validate the structure and content of these requests before processing them through the malware inspection pipeline. This validation gap allows attackers to craft specially designed HTTP requests that can manipulate the software's decision-making processes regarding file and malware inspection policies. The flaw essentially creates a bypass mechanism that enables malicious traffic to pass through the security controls without proper inspection, effectively rendering the configured security policies ineffective for the targeted traffic flows.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to organizations relying on Cisco Firepower Management Center for network security enforcement. An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this weakness without requiring any prior access credentials or privileged positions within the network infrastructure. The successful exploitation allows threat actors to bypass multiple layers of security controls simultaneously, potentially enabling them to deliver malware, exfiltrate data, or establish command and control communications through the affected device. This capability significantly amplifies the impact of other network-based attacks and can serve as a stepping stone for more extensive compromise operations within the target environment.
The security implications of CVE-2019-12701 align with common weakness patterns documented in the CWE database, specifically relating to insufficient input validation and bypass vulnerabilities. This weakness type is categorized under CWE-20, which covers "Improper Input Validation," and the exploitation technique resembles patterns found in ATT&CK framework's T1071.004 sub-technique for Application Layer Protocol: DNS. Organizations affected by this vulnerability face potential exposure to advanced persistent threats that can leverage the bypass capability to maintain long-term access while evading detection mechanisms. The remote nature of the attack vector means that adversaries can exploit this vulnerability from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access or network proximity to the affected systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-12701 should prioritize immediate implementation of vendor-provided security patches and updates. Organizations must also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of exploitation attempts. Additional defensive measures include monitoring network traffic for suspicious HTTP request patterns and implementing intrusion detection systems with signatures specifically designed to detect exploitation attempts. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected FMC software and establish monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized access attempts. The remediation process should include verification that all patch installations are successful and that the software's file and malware inspection policies are functioning correctly after the updates are applied.