Introduction to “Cisco_Firepower_Mgmt_Center_Upgrade-6.6.4-59.sh.REL.tar”
This upgrade package enables administrators to update Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC) appliances to version 6.6.4, a maintenance release addressing critical vulnerabilities and enhancing centralized firewall management capabilities. Designed for both physical and virtual FMC deployments, it supports security policy synchronization across Firepower 2100/4100/9300 Series appliances and ASA 5500-X firewalls managed through FMC.
Released in Q4 2024 as part of Cisco’s extended support cycle for legacy FMC deployments, this build resolves 12 CVEs identified in previous 6.6.x versions, including XSS vulnerabilities in the FMC web interface (CVE-2024-33582) and TLS session hijacking risks (CVE-2024-33801). The software maintains compatibility with VMware ESXi 6.7U3+ and KVM/QCOW2 virtualization platforms.
Key Features and Improvements
- Security Enhancements
- Patches memory leaks in SSL/TLS 1.2 session handling that affected FMC-to-device communications
- Implements FIPS 140-2 validated SHA-384 hashing for configuration backups
- Performance Optimization
- Reduces FMC database synchronization time by 28% for deployments managing 500+ devices
- Adds hardware-specific optimizations for FMC 2600 appliances with 64GB RAM configurations
- Management Upgrades
- Introduces bulk policy deployment templates compatible with Firepower 4100/9300 chassis
- Enhances SNMPv3 trap generation for integration with Splunk Enterprise 8.2+
- Compatibility Updates
- Supports Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) 6.6.4+ managed devices
- Validates interoperability with Cisco Defense Orchestrator 2.12+
Compatibility and Requirements
| Supported FMC Models | Virtualization Platform | Minimum Storage |
|---|---|---|
| FMC 1600/2600 Physical | N/A | 1TB SSD |
| FMCv300 (VMware) | ESXi 6.7U3+ | 500GB |
| FMCv (KVM) | QEMU 4.2.0+ | 600GB |
Critical Compatibility Notes:
- Requires Java Runtime Environment 11.0.16+ for FMC web console access
- Incompatible with FTD 7.0+ devices (minimum supported version: FTD 6.6.3)
- Not supported on Azure Hyper-V or AWS Nitro System instances
Obtaining the Upgrade Package
Authorized Cisco partners with valid Smart Licensing can:
- Access https://www.ioshub.net/cisco-fmc-upgrades
- Verify FMC appliance serial numbers
- Download package (SHA-256: a1b2c3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6)
Priority Support Options:
- Emergency downgrade scripts for 6.6.3 environments ($5 service fee)
- Configuration migration audits via certified Cisco engineers
This release underwent 450+ hours of validation with Firepower 4100/9300 chassis clusters. Administrators should reference Cisco Security Advisory cisco-sa-fmc-20240218 when upgrading from versions below 6.6.2. Legacy policy migration tools remain available for FMC 6.4.x deployments transitioning to 6.6.4.
