Cisco has released software updates to patch a high severity vulnerability that allows remote attackers to bypass the malware detection and blocking feature in the Firepower System Software.
The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2016-1345, is caused by improper input validation of fields in HTTP headers. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can exploit the flaw to bypass malicious file detection and blocking features by sending a specially crafted HTTP request to the targeted system.
According to Cisco, successful exploitation of the vulnerability allows malware to pass through the system without being detected.
The issue affects various Cisco security appliances running Firepower System Software with file action policies configured. The list of affected products includes Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA), Advanced Malware Protection (AMP), Sourcefire 3D System, FirePOWER, and Next Generation Intrusion Prevention Systems for VMware (NGIPSv) and Blue Coat X-Series (NGIPS).
The vulnerability has been patched in Cisco Firepower System Software 5.4.0.7 and later, 5.4.1.6 and later, and 6.0.1 and later.
The networking giant noted that the security hole also affects Snort, the company’s open source intrusion prevention system. The issue has been resolved in Snort with the release of version 2.9.8.2 on Wednesday.
The flaw was reported to Cisco by Dikla Barda, Liad Mizrachi, and Oded Vanunu from Check Point Security. The company says it’s unaware of any instances where the vulnerability has been exploited for malicious purposes.
Cisco has already published nearly 30 advisories this year to describe high and critical severity vulnerabilities plaguing the company’s products.
Related: Cisco Patches Critical, High Severity Flaws in NX-OS