dbcve.org
Firepower Management CenterApplication · Cisco

CVE-2024-20388

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-10-23
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
62/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
A vulnerability in the password change feature of Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC) software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to determine valid user names on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper authentication of password update responses. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by forcing a password reset on an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to determine valid user names in the unauthenticated response to a forced password reset.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

This is a user enumeration vulnerability in Cisco Firepower Management Center's password reset feature. The system improperly authenticates password update responses, allowing an unauthenticated remote attacker to force a password reset and receive valid usernames in the unauthenticated response. This enables attacker to build a list of valid user accounts for further attacks.

MitigationApply the vendor patch from Cisco when available. In the interim, monitor for unusual password reset patterns and implement rate limiting on password reset endpoints.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Firepower Management CenterApplication
Affected:= 6.4.0.17= 6.4.0.18= 6.6.7.2= 7.0.6.1= 7.0.6.2= 7.2.5.1= 7.2.5.2= 7.2.6= 7.2.7= 7.2.8= 7.2.8.1= 7.4.0
Secure Firewall Management CenterApplication
Affected:= 6.2.3= 6.2.3.1= 6.2.3.2= 6.2.3.3= 6.2.3.4= 6.2.3.5= 6.2.3.6= 6.2.3.7= 6.2.3.8= 6.2.3.9= 6.2.3.10= 6.2.3.11
Secure Firewall Threat DefenseApplication
Affected:= 6.4.0.4= 6.4.0.10= 6.4.0.12= 6.4.0.14= 6.4.0.16= 6.4.0.18= 6.6.5.1= 6.6.7= 6.7.0.2= 7.1.0.1= 7.1.0.3= 7.2.2

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify product and version
    For Firepower Management Center, run 'show version' in CLI or check the web UI under Help > About. For Firepower Threat Defense, run 'show version' on the device.
    Affected if The installed version matches any version listed in the CVE affected products and versions.
  2. Confirm web interface is accessible
    Verify the management center web interface is reachable on port 443 or the configured HTTPS port.
    Affected if The web interface is exposed, which makes the password reset endpoint reachable.
  3. Check password reset endpoint exposure
    Attempt to access the password reset URL path (typically /cgi-bin/login.cgi or similar password reset routes) without authentication to confirm it's accessible.
    Affected if The password reset functionality is accessible without authentication.
  4. Review authentication logs for enumeration patterns
    Search authentication and web logs for repeated password reset requests with different usernames, particularly from unauthenticated sources.
    Affected if Logs show unusual password reset activity or enumeration attempts.

You are affected if your installed Cisco Firepower Management Center, Secure Firewall Management Center, or Firepower Threat Defense version matches any version listed in the CVE and the password reset web interface is accessible without authentication.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the vendor patch from Cisco when available. In the interim, monitor for unusual password reset patterns and implement rate limiting on password reset endpoints.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to the fixed release specified in the Cisco Security Advisory for CVE-2024-20388 at sec.cloudapps.cisco.com (fixed releases vary by version branch; consult advisory for exact version numbers)

  1. 1. Identify the exact Firepower Management Center (FMC) or Secure Firewall Management Center version currently installed via the web interface (System > About > System Information) or CLI (show version)
  2. 2. Determine your current major version branch (6.2.x, 6.4.x, 6.6.x, or 7.0.x) from the affected versions list
  3. 3. Access the Cisco Security Advisories page at sec.cloudapps.cisco.com and locate CVE-2024-20388 to obtain the specific fixed software release for your version branch
  4. 4. Download the appropriate fixed FMC/Management Center upgrade package from Cisco (requires valid SMARTnet or support contract)
  5. 5. Schedule a maintenance window and follow Cisco's standard upgrade procedure for FMC: navigate to System > Updates > Software Updates > Install Upgrade
  6. 6. After upgrade, verify the fix by confirming the new version matches the fixed release and test that username enumeration is no longer possible via forced password reset
Caveat Standard FMC upgrade risks apply - ensure backup of configuration and review upgrade compatibility guides before proceeding

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Firepower Management Center Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,480
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-20388 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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