# Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance and Firepower Threat Defense: Unauthorized Access (CVE-2023-20269) · pwn.watch

> Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance and Firepower Threat Defense contain an unauthorized access vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a brute force attack in an attempt to identify valid username and password combinations or establish a clientless SSL VPN session with an unauthorized user. Added to CISA KEV on 2023-09-13. CISA lists known use in ransomware campaigns.

Page: https://pwn.watch/i/cisco-adaptive-security-appliance-and-threat-cve-2023-20269 · generated 2026-10-22T22:00:08.805Z

## Status
- Severity: critical · status: closed · patch: patched
- Product: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance and Firepower Threat Defense
- Started: 2023-09-13 · closed: 2023-09-13
- CVEs: CVE-2023-20269
- Affected: See vendor advisory / CISA notes (versions not always listed in KEV feed)
- Fixed in: See vendor advisory linked in sources

## Follow this incident
- RSS (one item per update): https://pwn.watch/i/cisco-adaptive-security-appliance-and-threat-cve-2023-20269/feed.xml
- JSON Feed: https://pwn.watch/i/cisco-adaptive-security-appliance-and-threat-cve-2023-20269/feed.json
- Full data (timeline, sources, posts, agentBrief): https://pwn.watch/i/cisco-adaptive-security-appliance-and-threat-cve-2023-20269.json
- This file: https://pwn.watch/i/cisco-adaptive-security-appliance-and-threat-cve-2023-20269/llms.txt

## Updates (newest first)
- 2023-09-13: CISA added CVE-2023-20269 to the KEV catalog (due 2023-10-04).

## Fix brief
# Security brief: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance and Firepower Threat Defense: Unauthorized Access (CVE-2023-20269)

Source: https://pwn.watch/i/cisco-adaptive-security-appliance-and-threat-cve-2023-20269 · status: closed (closed Sep 13, 2023) · severity: critical · updated Sep 13, 2023

## Patch status
**PATCHED: fixed releases exist. Upgrade to a fixed version.**

## What it is
Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance and Firepower Threat Defense contain an unauthorized access vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a brute force attack in an attempt to identify valid username and password combinations or establish a clientless SSL VPN session with an unauthorized user. Added to CISA KEV on 2023-09-13. CISA lists known use in ransomware campaigns.

Severity detail: CVSS 9.1 (NVD), actively exploited (CISA KEV), known ransomware use

- Product: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance and Firepower Threat Defense
- CVE / advisory ids: CVE-2023-20269

## Affected versions
- See vendor advisory / CISA notes (versions not always listed in KEV feed)

## Check whether you're affected
No generic command applies (the product is a hosted service, appliance or desktop app). Check the installed version in its admin UI / About screen and compare with the versions above.

## Fix
Upgrade to one of these fixed versions (or later on the same branch):
- See vendor advisory linked in sources

After upgrading, re-run the checks above and redeploy/restart the affected services.

## Secrets to rotate
This incident involves possible credential exposure. Rotate any credentials (API keys, tokens, env vars, SSH keys) that were present on affected systems or in affected builds while vulnerable/compromised versions were installed, and review access logs.

## Latest updates
- Sep 13, 2023: CISA added CVE-2023-20269 to the KEV catalog (due 2023-10-04).

## Advisories
- [Vendor advisory: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance and Firepower Threat Defense](https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-asaftd-ravpn-auth-8LyfCkeC) (Cisco)
- [NVD: CVE-2023-20269](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-20269) (NVD)
- [CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog](https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog) (CISA)

## Caveats
Derived from CISA KEV JSON feed catalogVersion 2026.10.21. Exact affected/fixed version strings are not always in the KEV record — verify against the vendor advisory URL. startedAt uses dateAdded (exploitation may have begun earlier).

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Machine-readable: https://pwn.watch/i/cisco-adaptive-security-appliance-and-threat-cve-2023-20269.json · all incidents: https://pwn.watch/incidents.json. Verify against the vendor advisory before changing production systems.