CVE-2024-20340 in Firepower Management Center
Summary
by MITRE • 10/23/2024
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) Software, formerly Firepower Management Center Software, could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to perform an SQL injection attack against an affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must have a valid account on the device with the role of Security Approver, Intrusion Admin, Access Admin, or Network Admin. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request to the web-based management interface of an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read the contents of databases on the affected device and also obtain limited read access to the underlying operating system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/04/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-20340 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center software, formerly known as Firepower Management Center. This web-based management interface serves as a central control point for firewall configurations and security policies, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise network security infrastructure. The vulnerability specifically affects the authentication and input validation mechanisms that protect the system's database layer, creating an exploitable pathway for malicious actors who possess legitimate administrative credentials.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation procedures within the web application's codebase, which falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-89 - SQL Injection. Attackers with valid accounts holding roles such as Security Approver, Intrusion Admin, Access Admin, or Network Admin can craft specially designed HTTP requests that bypass normal input sanitization checks. These malicious requests are then processed by the application's backend database engine without proper parameterization or input filtering, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary SQL commands directly into the database query execution pipeline.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation enables attackers to achieve both database reconnaissance and limited operating system access. An attacker could extract sensitive configuration data, user credentials, policy settings, and other confidential information stored within the FMC's database. Additionally, the vulnerability's potential for OS-level access creates opportunities for privilege escalation and further lateral movement within the network infrastructure. This dual nature of impact aligns with ATT&CK framework techniques such as T1078 Valid Accounts for initial access and T1046 Network Service Scanning for reconnaissance activities.
Organizations utilizing Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center software must implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability. The most effective approach involves applying the latest security patches released by Cisco, which typically include enhanced input validation routines and parameterized database queries to prevent SQL injection attacks. Network segmentation and role-based access controls should be enforced to limit the number of accounts with elevated privileges, particularly those with the vulnerable administrative roles. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and database activity monitoring systems can provide additional layers of defense by detecting and blocking suspicious SQL injection patterns in real-time traffic. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify any potential exploitation attempts and ensure that all security controls remain effective against evolving attack vectors.