CVE-2023-20269

Act now ● On CISA KEV — actively exploited used in ransomware

Actively exploited — on the CISA KEV list.

CVSS base

5.0 MEDIUM

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

EPSS — probability of exploitation (30 days)

25.5%

97.9th percentile

CISA KEV

Listed

Added 2023-09-13 · patch by 2023-10-04

Weakness / dates

CWE-863

Published 2023-09-06 · modified 2026-08-11

CVSS breakdown

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

Attack Vector	N	Network
Attack Complexity	L	Low
Privileges Required	L	Low
User Interaction	N	None
Scope	C	Changed
Confidentiality	N	None
Integrity	L	Low
Availability	N	None

Timeline

2023-09-06 — Published (NVD)
2023-09-13 — Added to CISA KEV (actively exploited)
2023-10-04 — CISA patch-by deadline
2026-08-11 — Last modified (NVD)

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.

Affected

cisco

References

Official: NVD · CVE.org