Hackers Breach Cisco Security Network

Cisco is warning that a high-severity flaw in its network security software is allowing remote, unauthenticated attackers to access sensitive data. Attackers are exploiting a high-severity vulnerability in Cisco’s network security software products, which is used by numerous Fortune 500 companies. 

Patches for the vulnerability in question were recently released. However, attackers have since been targeting vulnerable versions of the software, where the patches have not yet been applied. “The Cisco Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) is aware of the existence of public exploit code and active exploitation of the vulnerability that is described in this advisory,” according to Cisco.

A vulnerability in the web services interface of Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct directory traversal attacks and read sensitive files on a targeted system.

The flaw exists in the web services interface of Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) software, which is part of Cisco’s suite of network security and traffic management products; and its Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) software, the operating system for its family of ASA corporate network security devices.

According to Cisco, the vulnerability is due to a lack of proper input validation of URLs in HTTP requests processed by an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request containing directory traversal character sequences to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to view arbitrary files within the web services file system on the targeted device,”says Cisco’s website.

The potential threat surface is vast: Researchers with Rapid7 recently found 85,000 internet-accessible ASA/FTD devices. Worse, 398 of those are spread across 17 percent of the Fortune 500. 

The flaw stems from a lack of proper input validation of URLs in HTTP requests processed by affected devices. Specifically, the flaw allows attackers to conduct directory traversal attacks, which is an HTTP attack enabling bad actors to access restricted directories and execute commands outside of the web server’s root directory.

A potential attacker can view more sensitive files within the web services file system: The web services files may have information such as WebVPN configuration, bookmarks, web cookies, partial web content and HTTP URLs.

Researchers with Rapid7 say that since the patch was issued, only about 10 percent of Cisco ASA/FTD devices detected as internet-facing have been rebooted – which is a “likely indicator they’ve been patched.” Only 27 of the 398 detected in Fortune 500 companies appear to have been rebooted.

Researchers encourage immediate patching of vulnerable ASA/FTD installations to prevent attackers from obtaining sensitive information from these devices which may be used in targeted attacks. “Cisco has provided fixes for all supported versions of ASA and FTD components,” said researchers. “Cisco ASA Software releases 9.5 and earlier, as well as Release 9.7, along with Cisco FTD Release 6.2.2 have reached the end of software maintenance and organisations will have to upgrade to a later, supported version to fix this vulnerability.”

Rapid7:     ThreatPost:      Cisco:       ZDNet:       The Register: 

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