CVE-2019-1703 : Security Advisory and Response

Cisco Firepower Threat Defense Software Packet Processing Denial of Service Vulnerability

Understanding CVE-2019-1703

This CVE involves a vulnerability in Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software, potentially allowing a remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) by exploiting internal packet-processing logic.

What is CVE-2019-1703?

The vulnerability in Cisco Firepower Threat Defense Software could enable an unauthenticated attacker to disrupt traffic processing on affected devices, leading to a DoS condition. The flaw lies in the logic error affecting buffer replenishment under specific traffic scenarios.

The Impact of CVE-2019-1703

The vulnerability could allow a remote attacker to halt traffic processing on a device, causing a DoS situation until manual intervention is performed. The severity is rated as HIGH with a CVSS base score of 8.6.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-1703

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability stems from a logic error in the internal packet-processing mechanism of Cisco Firepower Threat Defense Software for the Cisco Firepower 2100 Series.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Cisco Firepower Threat Defense Software
Vendor: Cisco
Versions Affected: Less than 6.2.3.12 (unspecified version type)

Exploitation Mechanism

An attacker can exploit the vulnerability by sending crafted packets to exhaust input buffers shared among interfaces, leading to a queue wedge condition and a DoS scenario.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply the latest security patches provided by Cisco.
Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential attacks.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activities.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software and firmware in the network.
Conduct security assessments and penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories from Cisco and apply patches promptly to mitigate risks.