CVE-2020-3307 in FirePOWER Management Center
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web UI of Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to write arbitrary entries to the log file on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to send incorrect information to the system log on the affected system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-3307 resides within the web user interface of Cisco Firepower Management Center software, representing a critical security weakness that undermines the integrity of system logging mechanisms. This flaw operates at the intersection of insufficient input validation and remote code execution capabilities, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate system audit trails without requiring authentication credentials. The affected device's web interface fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data, specifically HTTP request parameters, which enables attackers to inject malicious content directly into the system's log files. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability and reliability of security monitoring infrastructure, as the fire suppression system's logging capabilities become compromised through unauthorized modification of log entries. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-20, which addresses improper input validation, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1070.001 for indicator removal, as attackers can potentially obscure their activities by corrupting log data. The attack vector requires only a network connection to the affected device, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited from external networks without requiring physical access or legitimate credentials.
The technical exploitation of CVE-2020-3307 involves crafting specially formatted HTTP requests that bypass the application's input sanitization controls, allowing arbitrary data insertion into log files. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to validate or sanitize user input before processing it within the logging subsystem, creating an injection point that can be leveraged for various malicious activities. Attackers can manipulate log entries to include malicious payloads or falsified information that may obscure legitimate system activities, potentially interfering with forensic analysis and incident response procedures. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the logging mechanism by enabling attackers to write arbitrary content to the system's log files, which can include commands, malicious scripts, or falsified audit trails that mislead security personnel about actual system activities. This flaw specifically targets the web management interface of the Firepower Management Center, which serves as the central control point for network security policies and monitoring activities. The exploitation process typically involves sending HTTP requests containing specially crafted parameters that the application processes without adequate validation, resulting in the injection of malicious content into the log system.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-3307 extends beyond simple log file corruption, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of organizations relying on Cisco Firepower Management Center for network protection. The ability to manipulate system logs creates opportunities for attackers to conduct stealthy operations while avoiding detection through log-based monitoring systems, undermining the effectiveness of security information and event management (SIEM) solutions that depend on accurate audit trails. Organizations may experience false negatives in security monitoring, where malicious activities are not properly detected due to corrupted log entries that obscure actual threats. The vulnerability also impacts compliance requirements, as audit logs become unreliable for regulatory reporting and forensic investigations. Security teams may face challenges in conducting proper incident response activities, as the integrity of system logs becomes compromised, making it difficult to establish accurate timelines of events or identify the true scope of security incidents. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that depend heavily on centralized logging for security operations, as it undermines the fundamental trust placed in system audit trails for security monitoring and compliance purposes. The attack could potentially be combined with other techniques to create more sophisticated attacks that leverage the compromised logging infrastructure for further exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-3307 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Cisco Firepower Management Center software versions, as Cisco has released security updates addressing this vulnerability. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the Firepower Management Center web interface, reducing the attack surface available to potential attackers. Access controls should be strengthened through the implementation of network access control lists and firewall rules that restrict direct access to the web management interface from untrusted networks. Regular monitoring of system logs should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, including monitoring for unexpected log file modifications or injection patterns. Security teams should establish procedures for log integrity verification and implement automated tools to detect corrupted log entries that could indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. Network administrators should consider implementing additional logging mechanisms that provide redundancy and integrity checks for critical system activities, ensuring that security monitoring is not entirely dependent on potentially compromised log files. The vulnerability's characteristics make it particularly important to maintain robust backup logging systems and implement multi-layered security controls that can detect and prevent unauthorized modifications to system audit trails. Organizations should also consider implementing network traffic analysis tools that can identify suspicious HTTP request patterns that may indicate attempts to exploit this vulnerability.