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CVE-2023-20269

MEDIUM 5 KNOWN EXPLOITED RANSOMWARE ALL-YEARS

Published 2023-09-06 · Last modified 2026-08-06 · cisco · NVD: Analyzed

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 fac

ACTIVELY EXPLOITED

Confirmed exploited in the wild — in CISA KEV since 2023-09-13, linked to ransomware campaigns. Patch or mitigate now.

Exploitation likelihood

26.6%chance of exploitation in 30 days · 98th percentile

● In CISA KEV (2023-09-13)○ Catalogued PoC◆ SSVC: exploitation active, automatable no

Impact if exploited

5CVSS 3.1 · MEDIUM · CNA

  • ConfidentialityNone
  • IntegrityLow
  • AvailabilityNone

What an attacker needs

  • ✓Access: Reachable over the network — no local access needed
  • ⚠Privileges: Requires a low-privilege account
  • ✓User interaction: No user interaction needed
  • ✓Complexity: No special conditions — reliably repeatable

✓ lowers the bar for an attacker · ⚠ raises it

Proof of concept

No public PoC is currently catalogued.

Search for new PoCs

Search GitHub now — results may be empty or unverified.

Tracked sources are checked weekly for the full archive, including PoCs published after the original disclosure. A later release appears after a tracked source lists it and a refresh succeeds.

Affected

Vendors Cisco

Products Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (Asa) Software Cisco Firepower Threat Defense Software Adaptive Security Appliance Software Secure Firewall Threat Defense

Weakness (CWE)

  • CWE-288: Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel
  • CWE-863: Incorrect authorization

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N

References and research data (JSON)

Additional exploitation reports

Source-specific reports, separate from CISA KEV. Repeated observations from one source are not independent confirmations.

42 more source reports

Known Affected Software Configurations

VendorProductVersion range
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.1
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.1.5
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.1.7
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.2
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.2.8
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.2.14
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.2.15
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.2.17
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.2.20
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.2.24
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.2.26
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.2.28
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.2.33
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.2.35
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.2.38
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.3
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.3.8
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.3.11
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.3.14
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.3.16
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.3.18
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.3.21
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.3.26
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.3.29
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.3
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.7
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.8
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.10
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.12
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.15
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.17
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.20
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.22
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.25
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.26
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.29
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.32
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.33
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.34
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.35
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.39
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.40
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.41
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.43
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.44
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.45
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.46
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.8.4.48
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.1
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.1.2
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.1.3
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.2
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.2.1
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.2.4
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.2.5
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.2.9
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.3
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.3.2
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.3.7
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.3.9
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.3.12
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.2
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.4
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.7
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.8
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.10
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.13
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.18
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.24
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.26
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.29
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.30
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.35
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.37
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.38
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.39
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.40
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.41
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.47
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.48
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.50
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.52
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.54
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.55
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.56
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.12.4.58
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.1
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.1.6
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.1.10
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.1.15
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.1.19
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.1.30
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.2
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.2.4
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.2.8
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.2.13
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.2.15
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.3
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.3.1
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.3.9
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.3.11
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.3.13
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.3.15
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.3.18
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.4
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.4.6
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.4.7
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.4.12
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.4.13
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.4.14
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.4.15
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.4.17
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.4.22
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.14.4.23
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.15.1
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.15.1.1
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.15.1.7
CiscoAdaptive Security Appliance Software9.15.1.10

Showing 120 of 246 configuration entries. Full list on NVD.

All CVSS metrics

  • MEDIUM 5 v3.1 · CNA Primary
    CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N
  • MEDIUM 5 v3.1 · NVD Secondary
    CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N
  • CRITICAL 9.1 v3.1 · NVD Primary
    CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

References

Advisories

Technical & other

Sources: NVD · CVE.org · All sources and attribution · EPSS