CVE-2023-20178A vulnerability in the client update process of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client Software for Windows and Cisco Secure Client…
- 7.8HighCVSS base score
- 5.4%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 7.2% of all CVEs
- NoKnown exploitednot in CISA's KEV catalog
- NonePublic exploitsnone known yet
Description
A vulnerability in the client update process of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client Software for Windows and Cisco Secure Client Software for Windows could allow a low-privileged, authenticated, local attacker to elevate privileges to those of SYSTEM. The client update process is executed after a successful VPN connection is established. This vulnerability exists because improper permissions are assigned to a temporary directory that is created during the update process. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by abusing a specific function of the Windows installer process. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute code with SYSTEM privileges.
Timeline
ID reserved
By cisco
- 8 months later
· 8 months later
Published
- 3 years later
· 3 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| ciscoCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | High7.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.1 | High7.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 5.4% · top 7.2% of all CVEs (13 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: none · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.8.
Affected products
- affected 4.9.00086
- affected 4.9.01095
- affected 4.9.02028
- affected 4.9.03047
- affected 4.9.03049
- affected 4.9.04043
- affected 4.9.04053
- affected 4.9.05042
- affected 4.9.06037
- affected 4.10.00093
- affected 4.10.01075
- affected 4.10.02086
- affected 4.10.03104
- affected 4.10.04065
- affected 4.10.04071
- affected 4.10.05085
- affected 4.10.05095
- affected 4.10.05111
- affected 4.10.06079
- affected 4.10.06090
- affected 5.0.00238
- affected 5.0.00529
- affected 5.0.00556
- affected 5.0.01242
What to do
Exploitation: The Cisco PSIRT is aware that proof-of-concept exploit code is available for the vulnerability that is described in this advisory.
References
References1
- cisco-sa-ac-csc-privesc-wx4U4Kw (opens in a new tab)x_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2023-24357 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2023-20178)Record last updated .