Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Cisco AnyConnect for Windows contains an installer path-handling flaw that can let a logged-in local attacker place malicious files in protected locations using system-level privileges. This can enable later code-loading attacks. Although scored medium, CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities listing increases remediation urgency.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation because CISA identifies active exploitation. Focus first on privileged, shared, administrative, and externally managed Windows endpoints. The valid-credential requirement reduces initial-access risk, but successful exploitation can enable system-level file placement and subsequent malicious code loading.
Technical view
CVE-2020-3153 is a CWE-427 uncontrolled search path vulnerability in the Windows installer component. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can copy supplied files into system-level directories, potentially enabling DLL pre-loading or hijacking. CVSS 3.0 is 6.5, with high integrity impact, changed scope, and no stated confidentiality or availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to Windows systems running affected Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client versions. The bundle does not identify exact affected or fixed versions. Exploitation requires valid local Windows credentials, so this is primarily a post-access privilege-escalation or persistence risk rather than remote initial access.
Exploitation context
CISA’s KEV status supports that this vulnerability has been exploited in the wild. The supplied evidence does not identify campaigns, threat actors, exploitation frequency, or ransomware use. No conclusion about public exploit availability should be drawn from this bundle.
Researcher notes
The vector is CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N. The supplied bundle establishes local authenticated exploitation and high integrity impact. Exact version boundaries, fixed releases, detection indicators, attack-chain details, and exploitation prevalence are not provided and should be verified through Cisco’s advisory.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory Cisco AnyConnect installations and record their Windows client versions.
- Consult Cisco’s advisory to determine affected and remediated releases for each deployment.
- Apply Cisco-recommended remediation after confirming version and environment applicability.
- Restrict unnecessary local and interactive access to systems running AnyConnect.
- Monitor protected directories for suspicious DLLs or unexpected file creation.
Validation and detection
- Compare every discovered AnyConnect version against Cisco’s current advisory.
- Confirm remediated clients are installed across all managed Windows endpoints.
- Check deployment records for failed, deferred, or offline endpoint updates.
- Review endpoint telemetry for unusual files created in system directories.
- Verify local access is limited according to operational requirements.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-427: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2020-3153 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.5 (3.0)
- Known Exploited
- Yes
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CISA KEV status
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N24ciscoVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.0 score
6.5MediumVector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- Added to KEVCISA-ADP
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities metadata lists this CVE as known exploited.
- ADP timelineCISA-ADP
CVE-2020-3153 added to CISA KEV
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
- 2022-10-24T00:00:00.000Z: CVE-2020-3153 added to CISA KEV
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- 20200219 Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows Uncontrolled Search Path VulnerabilityCVE reference, cisco · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_CISCO
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-3153CVE reference, CISA-ADP · government-resource
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Uncontrolled Search Path Element
Uncontrolled Search Path Element represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.