CVE-2024-20485: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software

Medium severity, CVSS 6.7. EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

A vulnerability in the VPN web server of Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute arbitrary code with root-level privileges. Administrator-level privileges are required to exploit this vulnerability. This vulnerability is due to improper validation of a specific file when it is read from system flash memory. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by restoring a crafted backup file to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the affected device after the next reload of the device, which could alter system behavior. Because the injected code could persist across device reboots, Cisco has raised the Security Impact Rating (SIR) of this advisory from Medium to High.

Affected products

• Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software: version 9.8.1 only; version 9.8.1.5 only; version 9.8.1.7 only; version 9.8.2 only; version 9.8.2.8 only; version 9.8.2.14 only; …
• Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense: version 6.2.3 only; version 6.2.3.1 only; version 6.2.3.2 only; version 6.2.3.3 only; version 6.2.3.4 only; version 6.2.3.5 only; …

Published 2024-10-23. Last modified 2026-08-11.