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CVE-2023-20269: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance and Firepower Threat Defense Unauthorized Access Vulnerability

CVE-2023-20269 is rated critical with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.1 and affects Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance and Firepower Threat Defense, along with 2 other products in NVD’s configuration data. Per its scoring, it can be exploited over the network, without authentication, without any user interaction. CISA added it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2023-09-13, which means exploitation in the wild has been observed.

Vulnerability 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.

Severity breakdown

CVSS v3.1 9.1: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

  • Attack vector: Network. Exploitable remotely over the network, with no need for local or physical access.
  • Attack complexity: Low. No special conditions; the attack can be repeated reliably.
  • Privileges required: None. No account or prior access is needed.
  • User interaction: None. No action from any user is needed.
  • Scope: Unchanged. Impact stays within the vulnerable component.
  • Confidentiality impact: High. Total loss of confidentiality; sensitive data can be fully disclosed.
  • Integrity impact: High. Total loss of integrity; data or system state can be fully modified.
  • Availability impact: None. No effect on availability.

Underlying weakness

CWE-288: Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel

The product requires authentication, but the product has an alternate path or channel that does not require authentication.

CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization

The product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check.

Affected products

  • Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software: 9.8.1; 9.8.1.5; 9.8.1.7; 9.8.2; 9.8.2.8; 9.8.2.14; 9.8.2.15; 9.8.2.17; 9.8.2.20; 9.8.2.24; 9.8.2.26; 9.8.2.28
  • Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense: 6.2.3; 6.2.3.1; 6.2.3.2; 6.2.3.3; 6.2.3.4; 6.2.3.5; 6.2.3.6; 6.2.3.7; 6.2.3.8; 6.2.3.9; 6.2.3.10; 6.2.3.11

References