Mozilla has released security updates to address vulnerabilities in Firefox and Thunderbird. A cyber threat actor could exploit one of these vulnerabilities to take control of an affected system.

CISA encourages users and administrators to review the following Mozilla advisories for more information and apply the necessary updates:

• Security Vulnerabilities fixed in Firefox for iOS 119
• Security Vulnerabilities fixed in Thunderbird 115.4.1
• Security Vulnerabilities fixed in Firefox ESR 115.4
• Security Vulnerabilities fixed in Firefox 119

View CSAF

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• CVSS v3 10.0
• ATTENTION: Exploitable remotely/low attack complexity/known public exploitation
• Vendor: Rockwell Automation
• Equipment: Stratix 5800 and Stratix 5200
• Vulnerabilities: Unprotected Alternate Channel

2. RISK EVALUATION

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an unauthenticated attacker to take control of the affected system.

3. TECHNICAL DETAILS

3.1 AFFECTED PRODUCTS

The following versions of Stratix products and the contained Cisco IOS software are affected:

• Stratix 5800 (running Cisco IOS XE Software with the Web UI feature enabled): All versions
• Stratix 5200 (running Cisco IOS XE Software with the Web UI feature enabled): All versions

3.2 Vulnerability Overview

3.2.1 UNPROTECTED ALTERNATE CHANNEL CWE-420

Rockwell Automation is aware of active exploitation of a previously unknown vulnerability in the web user interface feature of Cisco IOS XE Software when exposed to the internet or to untrusted networks. This vulnerability allows a remote, unauthenticated threat actor to create an account on a vulnerable system with privilege level 15 access. The threat actor could then potentially use that account to gain control of the affected system.

CVE-2023-20198 has been assigned to this vulnerability. A CVSS v3 base score of 10.0 has been calculated; the CVSS vector string is (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).

3.3 BACKGROUND

• CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SECTORS: Critical Manufacturing
• COUNTRIES/AREAS DEPLOYED: Worldwide
• COMPANY HEADQUARTERS LOCATION: United states

3.4 RESEARCHER

Rockwell Automation reported this vulnerability to CISA.

4. MITIGATIONS

Rockwell Automation strongly encourages users to follow guidance disabling Stratix HTTP servers on all internet-facing systems.

• To disable the HTTP Server feature, use the no ip http server or no ip http secure-server command in global configuration mode. If both the HTTP server and HTTPS server are in use, both commands are required to disable the HTTP Server feature.
• When implementing access controls for these services, be sure to review the controls because there is the potential for an interruption in production services.
• Cisco Talos has provided Indicators of Compromise and Snort rules that can be found here.

For more information, see Rockwell Automation’s Security Advisory.

CISA recommends users take defensive measures to minimize the risk of exploitation of this vulnerability, such as:

• Minimize network exposure for all control system devices and/or systems, ensuring they are not accessible from the internet.
• Locate control system networks and remote devices behind firewalls and isolating them from business networks.
• When remote access is required, use more secure methods, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), recognizing VPNs may have vulnerabilities and should be updated to the most current version available. Also recognize VPN is only as secure as the connected devices.

CISA reminds organizations to perform proper impact analysis and risk assessment prior to deploying defensive measures.

CISA also provides a section for control systems security recommended practices on the ICS webpage on cisa.gov/ics. Several CISA products detailing cyber defense best practices are available for reading and download, including Improving Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies.

CISA encourages organizations to implement recommended cybersecurity strategies for proactive defense of ICS assets.

Additional mitigation guidance and recommended practices are publicly available on the ICS webpage at cisa.gov/ics in the technical information paper, ICS-TIP-12-146-01B–Targeted Cyber Intrusion Detection and Mitigation Strategies.

Organizations observing suspected malicious activity should follow established internal procedures and report findings to CISA for tracking and correlation against other incidents.

5. UPDATE HISTORY

• October 24, 2023: Initial Publication

Today, CISA updated its guidance addressing two vulnerabilities, CVE-2023-20198 and CVE-2023-20273, affecting Cisco’s Internetworking Operating System (IOS) XE Software Web User Interface (UI).

The guidance now notes that Cisco has fixed these vulnerabilities for the 17.9 Cisco IOS XE software release train with the 17.9.4a update. According to Cisco’s Security Advisory: Multiple Vulnerabilities in Cisco IOS XE Software Web UI Feature, fixes are still to be determined for the following Cisco IOS XE software release trains: 17.6, 17.3, 16.12 (Catalyst 3650 and 3850 only). CISA urges organizations with the 17.9 Cisco IOS XE software release train to immediately update to the 17.9.4a release.

CISA urges organizations to review:

• CISA’s updated guidance
• Cisco Security Advisory: Multiple Vulnerabilities in Cisco IOS XE Software Web UI Feature
• Cisco Talos blog: Active exploitation of Cisco IOS XE Software Web Management User Interface vulnerabilities

CISA has added CVE-2023-20198 and CVE-2023-20273 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, which, per Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 22-01: Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, requires Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies to remediate identified vulnerabilities by the specified due date to protect FCEB networks against active threats.

Note: The Cisco Security Advisory initially pointed to another vulnerability as part of this activity. However, as stated in the Cisco Talos blog, Cisco has since determined that the vulnerability “CVE-2021-1435 that had previously been mentioned is no longer assessed to be associated with this activity.”   

Today, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a fact sheet on the effort to revise the National Cyber Incident Response Plan (NCIRP). Through the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC), CISA will work to ensure that the updated NCIRP addresses significant changes in policy and cyber operations since the initial NCIRP was released.

First published in 2016, the NCIRP was developed in accordance with Presidential Policy Directive 41 (PPD-41) on U.S. Cyber Incident Coordination and describes how federal government, private sector, and state, local, tribal, territorial (SLTT) government entities will organize to manage, respond to, and mitigate the consequences of significant cyber incidents. 

NCIRP 2024 will address changes to the cyber threat landscape and in the nation’s cyber defense ecosystem by incorporating principles grounded in four main areas:

• Unification 

• Shared Responsibility 

• Learning from the Past 

• Keeping Pace with Evolutions in Cybersecurity 

CISA encourages all organizations to read the fact sheet and visit CISA’s NCIRP webpage to learn about this long-term effort and stay updated on the development of the NCIRP 2024.