CVE-2020-3515 in FirePOWER Management Center
Summary
by MITRE • 10/22/2020
Multiple vulnerabilities in the web-based management interface of Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against a user of the interface. These vulnerabilities are due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input by the web-based management interface. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by persuading a user of the interface to click a crafted link. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary script code in the context of the interface or access sensitive, browser-based information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/26/2020
The Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC) represents a critical component in network security infrastructure, providing centralized management for firewalls and intrusion prevention systems. This vulnerability affects the web-based management interface that administrators use to configure and monitor security policies, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise network defenses. The FMC software operates as a centralized management platform that handles sensitive security configurations and monitoring data, which makes any vulnerability in its web interface particularly dangerous from a security perspective.
Multiple cross-site scripting vulnerabilities exist within the FMC web interface due to inadequate input validation mechanisms. The flaw stems from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied data that flows through the web application's input processing layers. When users interact with the management interface, the application fails to properly validate and sanitize data received from external sources, creating opportunities for malicious input to be executed as scripts within the browser context of authenticated users. This validation failure allows attackers to inject malicious payloads that can execute in the victim's browser session.
The exploitation of these vulnerabilities requires an attacker to craft malicious links that, when clicked by an authenticated user, would execute arbitrary code within the user's browser. The attack vector leverages social engineering techniques to trick users into clicking malicious links, making it particularly insidious since it requires no direct authentication or privileged access to the system. Once successfully exploited, attackers can execute scripts that have full access to the browser session, potentially allowing them to steal session cookies, access sensitive configuration data, or perform unauthorized actions within the management interface. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as attackers could potentially escalate privileges or extract sensitive information from the browser-based interface.
These vulnerabilities directly map to CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and align with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for scripting, specifically targeting web application interfaces. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that FMC interfaces are typically accessed by security administrators who possess elevated privileges and sensitive access to network security controls. The unauthenticated nature of the attack means that adversaries do not need to establish initial access through other vectors, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where administrators regularly access management interfaces from potentially compromised devices or networks.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches released by Cisco, which address the input validation deficiencies in the web interface. Network segmentation and monitoring of web traffic to the FMC interface can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Additional protective measures include implementing web application firewalls to filter malicious payloads, conducting regular security assessments of the management interface, and establishing strict access controls and monitoring of administrative sessions. Security teams should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication for FMC access and regular security awareness training to reduce the risk of successful social engineering attacks that could exploit these vulnerabilities.