A vulnerability in the web services interface of Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct directory traversal attacks and read sensitive files on a targeted system. The vulnerability is due to a lack of proper input validation of URLs in HTTP requests processed by an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request containing directory traversal character sequences to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to view arbitrary files within the web services file system on the targeted device. The web services file system is enabled when the affected device is configured with either WebVPN or AnyConnect features. This vulnerability cannot be used to obtain access to ASA or FTD system files or underlying operating system (OS) files.
This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.5, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), for affected systems. Impacting 14 products from cisco, from cisco, from cisco and 11 others, organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
Reported in 2020, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.
2020-07-22T20:15:11.970
2025-10-28T13:54:01.140
Analyzed
CVSSv3.1: 7.5 (HIGH)
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
10.0
2.9
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating System | cisco | adaptive_security_appliance_software | < 9.6.4.42 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | adaptive_security_appliance_software | < 9.8.4.20 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | adaptive_security_appliance_software | < 9.9.2.74 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | adaptive_security_appliance_software | < 9.10.1.42 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | adaptive_security_appliance_software | < 9.12.3.12 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | adaptive_security_appliance_software | < 9.13.1.10 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | adaptive_security_appliance_software | < 9.14.1.10 | Yes |
| Hardware | cisco | asa_5505 | - | No |
| Hardware | cisco | asa_5510 | - | No |
| Hardware | cisco | asa_5512-x | - | No |
| Hardware | cisco | asa_5515-x | - | No |
| Hardware | cisco | asa_5520 | - | No |
| Hardware | cisco | asa_5525-x | - | No |
| Hardware | cisco | asa_5540 | - | No |
| Hardware | cisco | asa_5545-x | - | No |
| Hardware | cisco | asa_5550 | - | No |
| Hardware | cisco | asa_5555-x | - | No |
| Hardware | cisco | asa_5580 | - | No |
| Hardware | cisco | asa_5585-x | - | No |
| Application | cisco | firepower_threat_defense | < 6.2.3.16 | Yes |
| Application | cisco | firepower_threat_defense | < 6.3.0.6 | Yes |
| Application | cisco | firepower_threat_defense | < 6.4.0.10 | Yes |
| Application | cisco | firepower_threat_defense | < 6.5.0.5 | Yes |
| Application | cisco | firepower_threat_defense | < 6.6.0.1 | Yes |
SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For cisco's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.