^{CVE-2023-20048:}Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC) Software contains an insufficient authorization vulnerability that allows authenticated remote attackers to execute unauthorized configuration commands on managed Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) devices.

Overview

This vulnerability (CVE-2023-20048) is classified as CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization) and affects Cisco Firepower Management Center Software. The issue exists in the web services interface where the system fails to properly authorize certain configuration commands. An attacker who has already authenticated to the FMC web services interface can send specially crafted HTTP requests to execute unauthorized configuration commands on managed FTD devices. This could lead to unauthorized changes to security policies, device configurations, or other critical settings. The vulnerability requires the attacker to have valid credentials for the FMC Software, which limits the attack surface but still presents a significant security risk for organizations using these Cisco products.

Remediation

To address this vulnerability, administrators should:

1. Update Cisco Firepower Management Center Software to the latest version as recommended in the Cisco Security Advisory.
2. Implement strong authentication mechanisms and enforce complex password policies for FMC access.
3. Review and audit user accounts with access to FMC, removing unnecessary accounts and privileges.
4. Monitor FMC and FTD logs for suspicious activities or unauthorized configuration changes.
5. Implement network segmentation to restrict access to management interfaces.
6. Follow the principle of least privilege for all administrative accounts.
7. Consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative access where possible.

References

1. Cisco Security Advisory: https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-fmc-cmd-inj-29MP49hN
2. MITRE CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization): https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/863.html
3. Cisco Firepower Management Center Documentation: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/security/defense-center/tsd-products-support-series-home.html
4. NIST National Vulnerability Database: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-20048