CVE-2024-20439
Cisco Smart Licensing Utility Static Credential Vulnerability
Cisco Smart Licensing Utility
A vulnerability in Cisco Smart Licensing Utility (CSLU) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to log into an affected system by using a static administrative credential. This vulnerability is due to an undocumented static user credential for an administrative account. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by using the static credentials to login to the affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to login to the affected system with administrative rights over the CSLU application API.
Exploitation status
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
Listed by CISA on 31 March 2025. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 21 April 2025.
EPSS — exploitation probability
FIRST puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 97.1%, which is higher than 99.9% 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:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2024-20439 being exploited by ransomware groups?
No ransomware group in this database is currently recorded as exploiting CVE-2024-20439.
What does CVE-2024-20439 affect?
CVE-2024-20439 affects Cisco Smart Licensing Utility. A vulnerability in Cisco Smart Licensing Utility (CSLU) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to log into an affected system by using a static administrative credential. This vulnerability is due to an undocumented static user credential for an administrative account. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by using the static credentials to login to the affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to login to the affected system with administrative rights over the CSLU application API.
How severe is CVE-2024-20439?
CVE-2024-20439 is rated CRITICAL with a CVSS base score of 9.8. EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 97.1%, higher than 99.9% of all scored vulnerabilities. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a federal remediation deadline of 21 April 2025.
How should organisations respond to CVE-2024-20439?
Apply the vendor patch for Cisco Smart Licensing Utility 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.