CVE-2025-20333
Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
Does this matter?
Known to be exploited in the wild (CISA KEV, CISA remediation deadline 26 September 2025). Treat as an emergency change: patch or isolate now, then hunt for prior compromise.
Description
A vulnerability in the VPN web server of Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper validation of user-supplied input in HTTP(S) requests. An attacker with valid VPN user credentials could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code as root, possibly resulting in the complete compromise of the affected device.
- CVSS 3.1
- 9.9 CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 70.65% probability · 99th percentile
- CISA KEV
- Listed 25 September 2025 · due 26 September 2025
- Weakness
- CWE-120
- Affected
- cisco/adaptive security appliance software · cisco/secure firewall threat defense
- Source
- psirt@cisco.com
CISA notes
The KEV due date refers to the deadline by which FCEB agencies are expected to review and begin implementing the guidance outlined in Emergency Directive (ED) 25-03 (URL listed below in Notes). Agencies must follow the mitigation steps provided by CISA (URL listed below in Notes) and vendor’s instructions (URL listed below in Notes). Adhere to the applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are not available. CISA Mitigation Instructions: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/ed-25-03-identify-and-mitigate-potential-compromise-cisco-devices ; https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/supplemental-direction-ed-25-03-core-dump-and-hunt-instructions ; https://www.cisa.gov/eviction-strategies-tool/create-from-template ; https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/resources/asa_ftd_continued_attacks ; https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/private/resources/asa_ftd_continued_attacks#Details ; https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-asaftd-webvpn-z5xP8EUB ; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-20333
References
- https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-asaftd-webvpn-z5xP8EUBVendor Advisory
- https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/resources/asa_ftd_continued_attacksVendor Advisory
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-20333US Government Resource
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA. Refreshed daily.