CVE-2023-20269: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software vulnerability

1. In CISA KEVCISA KEV catalogue13 Sep 2023
2. Exploited (reported): not seen
3. Scanning observed: not seen
4. Proof of concept public: not seen
5. Not established: not seen

DescriptionCVE.org

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.

• Cisco · Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software9.8.1; 9.8.1.5; 9.8.1.7; 9.8.2; 9.8.2.8; 9.8.2.14 and 164 more
• Cisco · Cisco Firepower Threat Defense Software6.2.3; 6.2.3.1; 6.2.3.2; 6.2.3.3; 6.2.3.4; 6.2.3.5 and 70 more

Exploitation

Exploited in the wild. Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue.

CISA KEV

Listed since 13 Sep 2023 · known ransomware use · catalogue entry

Public check

No public nuclei template

Weakness

Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel · Authentication

Vendor

Cisco

Published

September 2023

Band

Exploited in the wild, September 2023

1. 5 Nov
   CISA’s KEV entry now notes known ransomware use CISA
2. 13 Sep 2023
   CISA added it to the KEV catalogue CISA

• NVD entrynvd.nist.gov
• CISA KEV cataloguecisa.gov
• CVE recordcve.org
• Weakness CWE-288cwe.mitre.org
• sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvsec.cloudapps.cisco.com