dbcve.org
Secure Firewall Threat DefenseApplication · Cisco

CVE-2024-20412

HIGH · 8.4 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 →
89/100
Remediation priority · High
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 Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software for Cisco Firepower 1000, 2100, 3100, and 4200 Series could allow an unauthenticated, local attacker to access an affected system using static credentials. This vulnerability is due to the presence of static accounts with hard-coded passwords on an affected system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by logging in to the CLI of an affected device with these credentials. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to access the affected system and retrieve sensitive information, perform limited troubleshooting actions, modify some configuration options, or render the device unable to boot to the operating system, requiring a reimage of the device.

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

Cisco FTD software contains hard-coded static credentials for unauthenticated local CLI access on Firepower 1000, 2100, 3100, and 4200 Series devices. An attacker with CLI access can exploit these credentials to retrieve sensitive information, modify limited configuration options, or render the device unbootable, requiring reimaging.

MitigationApply the Cisco patch/update for FTD software as released in the Cisco Security Advisory; ensure no unauthorized accounts exist and validate device integrity post-patch.

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
Secure Firewall Threat DefenseApplication
Affected:= 7.1.0= 7.1.0.1= 7.1.0.2= 7.1.0.3= 7.2.0= 7.2.0.1= 7.2.1= 7.2.2= 7.2.3= 7.2.4= 7.2.4.1= 7.2.5

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

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

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 FTD software version
    Log into the Firepower device via SSH or console and run the command 'show version' or 'show running-config' to display the software version. Alternatively, access the Firepower Management Center and navigate to Devices > Device Management to view the version for each managed FTD device.
    Affected if The displayed version matches any of these exact versions: 7.1.0, 7.1.0.1, 7.1.0.2, 7.1.0.3, 7.2.0, 7.2.0.1, 7.2.1, 7.2.2, 7.2.3, 7.2.4, 7.2.4.1, or 7.2.5
  2. Confirm device model is affected series
    From the same 'show version' output or Firepower Management Center device list, verify the hardware model is a Firepower 1000, 2100, 3100, or 4200 Series appliance.
    Affected if The device model is a Firepower 1000, 2100, 3100, or 4200 series and the version matches the affected list in step 1
  3. Verify CLI access is enabled
    Check if SSH or local console access to the FTD CLI is enabled by reviewing the device configuration. In the FTD CLI, run 'show ssh' to list enabled SSH interfaces, or check the management access configuration with 'show running-config | include ssh'.
    Affected if SSH or console access to the FTD device is enabled and the version/model conditions from steps 1-2 are met

A device is affected if it runs FTD version 7.1.0 through 7.2.5 (exact versions) on a Firepower 1000, 2100, 3100, or 4200 series appliance with CLI/SSH access enabled.

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 Cisco patch/update for FTD software as released in the Cisco Security Advisory; ensure no unauthorized accounts exist and validate device integrity post-patch.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to a later FTD 7.1.x release (7.1.0.4 or later) or the next major release (e.g., 7.2.x/7.3.x) as specified in the Cisco FTD security advisory

  1. Verify the current FTD version using 'show version' command in the CLI
  2. Download the fixed FTD software release from Cisco (check Cisco Firepower Release Notes for the version that addresses CVE-2024-20412)
  3. Plan upgrade during a maintenance window as the device will require a reboot
  4. Backup current configuration using 'configure export' or via FMC if managed centrally
  5. Upload the new FTD image to the device using 'upgrade' command or via Firepower Management Center
  6. Verify upgrade completion and confirm new version with 'show version'
  7. Test basic connectivity and verify critical policies are functioning
Caveat Check Cisco FTD release notes for any compatibility changes, especially if upgrading across major versions (e.g., 7.1.x to 7.2.x)

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

Fix this in Secure Firewall Threat Defense Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,840
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2024-20412 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data