CVE-2023-20269
Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance and Firepower Threat Defense Unauthorized Access
- Published6 Sept 2023
- Added to CISA KEV13 Sept 2023
- Remediation due4 Oct 2023
Description
A vulnerability in the remote access VPN feature of Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a brute force attack in an attempt to identify valid username and password combinations or an authenticated, remote attacker to establish a clientless SSL VPN session with an unauthorized user. This vulnerability is due to improper separation of authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) between the remote access VPN feature and the HTTPS management and site-to-site VPN features. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by specifying a default connection profile/tunnel group while conducting a brute force attack or while establishing a clientless SSL VPN session using valid credentials. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to achieve one or both of the following: Identify valid credentials that could then be used to establish an unauthorized remote access VPN session. Establish a clientless SSL VPN session (only when running Cisco ASA Software Release 9.16 or earlier). Notes: Establishing a client-based remote access VPN tunnel is not possible as these default connection profiles/tunnel groups do not and cannot have an IP address pool configured. This vulnerability does not allow an attacker to bypass authentication. To successfully establish a remote access VPN session, valid credentials are required, including a valid second factor if multi-factor authentication (MFA) is configured. Cisco will release software updates that address this vulnerability. There are workarounds that address this vulnerability.
CVSS 3.1 breakdown
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:NAffected products
Remediation
No fixed version is recorded in the NVD data. Check the vendor advisory for the latest guidance.
References
Related CVEs
Recent high-severity vulnerabilities sharing a weakness type.
Frequently asked
Is CVE-2023-20269 being actively exploited?
Yes. CVE-2023-20269 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added 13 Sept 2023. It has been used in ransomware campaigns.
How severe is CVE-2023-20269?
CVE-2023-20269 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.0, rated medium. EPSS estimates a 25.5% probability of exploitation.
Which products are affected by CVE-2023-20269?
Affected products include Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense, Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software.
How do I fix CVE-2023-20269?
Apply the vendor's patch or advisory guidance, then verify no affected versions remain across your devices.
How Secuno handles this
Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-20269 against the real software inventory on every managed device, every day. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. Because it is on the CISA KEV list, Secuno flags any affected asset as top-priority automatically. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.
Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.