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CVE-2020-3153

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows Uncontrolled Search Path Vulnerability

6.5 MediumIn KEVPublic exploit

A vulnerability in the installer component of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows could allow an authenticated local attacker to copy user-supplied files to system level directories with system level privileges. The vulnerability is due to the incorrect handling of directory paths. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by creating a malicious file and copying the file to a system directory. An exploit could allow the attacker to copy malicious files to arbitrary locations with system level privileges. This could include DLL pre-loading, DLL hijacking, and other related attacks. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker needs valid credentials on the Windows system.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
Low
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

28.5%Up 10.3 points since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

CVE List Score used 6.5

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows Uncontrolled Search Path Vulnerability

A vulnerability in the installer component of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows could allow an authenticated local attacker to copy user-supplied files to system level directories with system level privileges. The vulnerability is due to the incorrect handling of directory paths. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by creating a malicious file and copying the file to a system directory. An exploit could allow the attacker to copy malicious files to arbitrary locations with system level privileges. This could include DLL pre-loading, DLL hijacking, and other related attacks. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker needs valid credentials on the Windows system.

Record
CVE-2020-3153
CVSS 3.0
6.5 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N
Weakness
CWE-427
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-24424 6.5

A vulnerability in the installer component of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows could allow an authenticated local attacker to copy user-supplied files to system level directories with system level privileges. The vulnerability is due to the incorrect handling of directory paths. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by creating a malicious file and copying the file to a system directory. An exploit could allow the attacker to copy malicious files to arbitrary locations with system level privileges. This could include DLL pre-loading, DLL hijacking, and other related attacks. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker needs valid credentials on the Windows system.

Record
EUVD-2020-24424
CVSS 3.0
6.5 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-xpxv-rfwh-rcfc 6.5

A vulnerability in the installer component of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows...

A vulnerability in the installer component of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows could allow an authenticated local attacker to copy user-supplied files to system level directories with system level privileges. The vulnerability is due to the incorrect handling of directory paths. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by creating a malicious file and copying the file to a system directory. An exploit could allow the attacker to copy malicious files to arbitrary locations with system level privileges. This could include DLL pre-loading, DLL hijacking, and other related attacks. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker needs valid credentials on the Windows system.

Record
GHSA-xpxv-rfwh-rcfc
CVSS 3.1
6.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N
Weakness
CWE-427
Updated
2026-11-02
CISA KEV No score

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows Uncontrolled Search Path Vulnerability

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows allows for incorrect handling of directory paths. An attacker with valid credentials on Windows would be able to copy malicious files to arbitrary locations with system level privileges. This could include DLL pre-loading, DLL hijacking, and other related attacks.

Record
CVE-2020-3153
Weakness
CWE-427
Updated
2026-11-02
NVD 6.5

A vulnerability in the installer component of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows could allow an authenticated local attacker to copy user-supplied files to system level directories with system level privileges. The vulnerability is due to the incorrect handling of directory paths. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by creating a malicious file and copying the file to a system directory. An exploit could allow the attacker to copy malicious files to arbitrary locations with system level privileges. This could include DLL pre-loading, DLL hijacking, and other related attacks. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker needs valid credentials on the Windows system.

Record
CVE-2020-3153
CVSS 3.1
6.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N
CVSS 3.0
6.5 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N
CVSS 2.0
4.9 MediumAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:C/A:N
Weakness
CWE-427
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Public exploits

Links only. Every CVE stores no exploit code.

Public exploits
SourceLinkDate
PoC in GitHubshubham0d/CVE-2020-31532020-05-04
PoC in GitHubraspberry-pie/CVE-2020-31532020-05-15
PoC in GitHubgoichot/CVE-2020-31532020-05-19
MetasploitCisco AnyConnect Privilege Escalations (CVE-2020-3153 and CVE-2020-3433)2020-08-05

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
exploitation, exploits
first indexedCVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, CISA KEV, Metasploit, NVD, PoC in GitHub

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2020-3153 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.5) in Cisco Anyconnect Secure, published February 19, 2020. CISA lists it as known to be exploited, since October 24, 2022. EUVD reports exploitation since October 24, 2022. Public exploit code exists. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 28.5%, the 98th percentile. No source names a fixed version.

References

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