CVE-2018-0453
Cisco Firepower Management Center and Firepower System Software Sourcefire Tunnel Control Channel Command Execution Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the Sourcefire tunnel control channel protocol in Cisco Firepower System Software running on Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) sensors could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute specific CLI commands with root privileges on the Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC), or through Cisco FMC on other Firepower sensors and devices that are controlled by the same Cisco FMC. To send the commands, the attacker must have root privileges for at least one affected sensor or the Cisco FMC. The vulnerability exists because the affected software performs insufficient checks for certain CLI commands, if the commands are executed via a Sourcefire tunnel connection. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating with root privileges to a Firepower sensor or Cisco FMC, and then sending specific CLI commands to the Cisco FMC or through the Cisco FMC to another Firepower sensor via the Sourcefire tunnel connection. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to modify device configurations or delete files on the device that is running Cisco FMC Software or on any Firepower device that is managed by Cisco FMC.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- High
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
8.2
A vulnerability in the Sourcefire tunnel control channel protocol in Cisco Firepower System Software running on Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) sensors could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute specific CLI commands with root privileges on the Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC), or through Cisco FMC on other Firepower sensors and devices that are controlled by the same Cisco FMC. To send the commands, the attacker must have root privileges for at least one affected sensor or the Cisco FMC. The vulnerability exists because the affected software performs insufficient checks for certain CLI commands, if the commands are executed via a Sourcefire tunnel connection. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating with root privileges to a Firepower sensor or Cisco FMC, and then sending specific CLI commands to the Cisco FMC or through the Cisco FMC to another Firepower sensor via the Sourcefire tunnel connection. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to modify device configurations or delete files on the device that is running Cisco FMC Software or on any Firepower device that is managed by Cisco FMC.
- Record
CVE-2018-0453- CVSS 3.0
- 8.2 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 7.2 High
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C - Weakness
- CWE-264, CWE-78
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
Cisco Firepower Management Center and Firepower System Software Sourcefire Tunnel Control Channel Command Execution Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the Sourcefire tunnel control channel protocol in Cisco Firepower System Software running on Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) sensors could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute specific CLI commands with root privileges on the Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC), or through Cisco FMC on other Firepower sensors and devices that are controlled by the same Cisco FMC. To send the commands, the attacker must have root privileges for at least one affected sensor or the Cisco FMC. The vulnerability exists because the affected software performs insufficient checks for certain CLI commands, if the commands are executed via a Sourcefire tunnel connection. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating with root privileges to a Firepower sensor or Cisco FMC, and then sending specific CLI commands to the Cisco FMC or through the Cisco FMC to another Firepower sensor via the Sourcefire tunnel connection. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to modify device configurations or delete files on the device that is running Cisco FMC Software or on any Firepower device that is managed by Cisco FMC.
- Record
CVE-2018-0453- Weakness
- CWE-264
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2018-1276 No score
A vulnerability in the Sourcefire tunnel control channel protocol in Cisco Firepower System Software running on Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) sensors could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute specific CLI commands with root privileges on the Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC), or through Cisco FMC on other Firepower sensors and devices that are controlled by the same Cisco FMC. To send the commands, the attacker must have root privileges for at least one affected sensor or the Cisco FMC. The vulnerability exists because the affected software performs insufficient checks for certain CLI commands, if the commands are executed via a Sourcefire tunnel connection. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating with root privileges to a Firepower sensor or Cisco FMC, and then sending specific CLI commands to the Cisco FMC or through the Cisco FMC to another Firepower sensor via the Sourcefire tunnel connection. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to modify device configurations or delete files on the device that is running Cisco FMC Software or on any Firepower device that is managed by Cisco FMC.
- Record
EUVD-2018-1276- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-8584-j2xq-qr4w
8.2
A vulnerability in the Sourcefire tunnel control channel protocol in Cisco Firepower System...
A vulnerability in the Sourcefire tunnel control channel protocol in Cisco Firepower System Software running on Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) sensors could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute specific CLI commands with root privileges on the Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC), or through Cisco FMC on other Firepower sensors and devices that are controlled by the same Cisco FMC. To send the commands, the attacker must have root privileges for at least one affected sensor or the Cisco FMC. The vulnerability exists because the affected software performs insufficient checks for certain CLI commands, if the commands are executed via a Sourcefire tunnel connection. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating with root privileges to a Firepower sensor or Cisco FMC, and then sending specific CLI commands to the Cisco FMC or through the Cisco FMC to another Firepower sensor via the Sourcefire tunnel connection. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to modify device configurations or delete files on the device that is running Cisco FMC Software or on any Firepower device that is managed by Cisco FMC.
- Record
GHSA-8584-j2xq-qr4w- CVSS 3.0
- 8.2 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-78
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2018-0453 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.2) in Cisco Firesight System Software, published October 5, 2018. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.41%, the 35th percentile. No source names a fixed version.