CVE-2020-3433
Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows DLL Hijacking Vulnerability
Cisco AnyConnect Secure
A vulnerability in the interprocess communication (IPC) channel of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows could allow an authenticated, local attacker to perform a DLL hijacking attack. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to have valid credentials on the Windows system. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of resources that are loaded by the application at run time. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted IPC message to the AnyConnect process. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the affected machine with SYSTEM privileges. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to have valid credentials on the Windows system.
Exploitation status
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
Listed by CISA on 24 October 2022. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 14 November 2022. CISA records this vulnerability as known to be used in ransomware campaigns.
EPSS — exploitation probability
FIRST puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 10%, which is higher than 95.6% of all scored vulnerabilities. EPSS is a forecast of activity, not a measure of severity, and it is rescored daily.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2020-3433 being exploited by ransomware groups?
No ransomware group in this database is currently recorded as exploiting CVE-2020-3433.
What does CVE-2020-3433 affect?
CVE-2020-3433 affects Cisco AnyConnect Secure. A vulnerability in the interprocess communication (IPC) channel of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows could allow an authenticated, local attacker to perform a DLL hijacking attack. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to have valid credentials on the Windows system. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of resources that are loaded by the application at run time. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted IPC message to the AnyConnect process. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the affected machine with SYSTEM privileges. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to have valid credentials on the Windows system.
How severe is CVE-2020-3433?
CVE-2020-3433 is rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 7.8. EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 10%, higher than 95.6% of all scored vulnerabilities. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a federal remediation deadline of 14 November 2022.
How should organisations respond to CVE-2020-3433?
Apply the vendor patch for Cisco AnyConnect Secure as the first priority, and treat any internet-facing instance as the most urgent. Because this vulnerability is associated with ransomware activity, also review whether the affected systems were reachable before patching, rather than assuming that patching alone closes the incident.