Analysis Summary

Cisco has patched a maximum-severity vulnerability that allowed attackers to execute commands with root capabilities on Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul (URWB) access points that supply connectivity for industrial wireless automation.

This vulnerability, identified as CVE-2024-20418, was discovered in the web-based management interface of Cisco's Unified Industrial Wireless Software. Unauthenticated threat actors can take advantage of low-complexity command injection attacks that don't involve user involvement. Inadequate input validation to the web-based administration interface is the cause of this vulnerability. By submitting specially constructed HTTP queries to the web-based administration interface of a compromised machine, an attacker could take advantage of this vulnerability.

If the exploit is successful, the attacker may be able to use the underlying operating system of the compromised device to run arbitrary commands with root privileges. Catalyst IW9165D Heavy Duty Access Points, Catalyst IW9165E Rugged Access Points and Wireless Clients, and Catalyst IW9167E Heavy Duty Access Points are all affected by the vulnerability, according to the company, but only if they are running vulnerable software and have the URWB operating mode enabled.

The Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) at Cisco has not yet found any indication that this critical vulnerability has been used in attacks or that publicly available exploit code exists. By seeing if the "show mpls-config" CLI command is accessible, administrators can ascertain whether the URWB operating mode is enabled. This vulnerability won't harm the device because URWB is disabled if the command is unavailable.

Additionally, in July, Cisco patched a denial-of-service vulnerability in its Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) and Cisco ASA software that had been found in April while being used in widespread brute-force attacks on Cisco VPN routers. To fix another command injection vulnerability with publicly available exploit code that allows attackers to elevate access to root on susceptible systems, the company published security upgrades a month ago.

Impact

• Command Execution
• Privilege Escalation
• Unauthorized Access

Indicators of Compromise

CVE

• CVE-2024-20418

Affected Vendors

Remediation

• Refer to Cisco Security Advisory for patch, upgrade, or suggested workaround information.
• Organizations must test their assets for the vulnerability mentioned above and apply the available security patch or mitigation steps as soon as possible.
• Implement multi-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to login processes.
• Regularly monitor network activity for any unusual behavior, as this may indicate that a cyberattack is underway.
• Organizations must stay vigilant and follow best practices for cybersecurity to protect their systems and data from potential threats. This includes regularly updating software and implementing strong access controls and monitoring tools.
• Develop a comprehensive incident response plan to respond effectively in case of a security breach or data leakage.
• Maintain regular backups of critical data and systems to ensure data recovery in case of a security incident.
• Adhere to security best practices, including the principle of least privilege, and ensure that users and applications have only the necessary permissions.
• Establish a robust patch management process to ensure that security patches are evaluated, tested, and applied promptly.
• Conduct security audits and assessments to evaluate the overall security posture of your systems and networks.
• Implement network segmentation to contain and isolate potential threats to limit their impact on critical systems.