CVE-2025-20251
Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Software Authenticated Arbitrary File Deletion
A vulnerability in the Remote Access SSL VPN service for Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to create or delete arbitrary files on the underlying operating system. If critical system files are manipulated, new Remote Access SSL VPN sessions could be denied and existing sessions could be dropped, causing a denial of service (DoS) condition. An exploited device requires a manual reboot to recover.
This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation when processing HTTP requests. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to create or delete files on the underlying operating system, which could cause the Remote Access SSL VPN service to become unresponsive. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must be authenticated as a VPN user of the affected device.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
8.5
Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Software Authenticated Arbitrary File Deletion
A vulnerability in the Remote Access SSL VPN service for Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to create or delete arbitrary files on the underlying operating system. If critical system files are manipulated, new Remote Access SSL VPN sessions could be denied and existing sessions could be dropped, causing a denial of service (DoS) condition. An exploited device requires a manual reboot to recover.
This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation when processing HTTP requests. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to create or delete files on the underlying operating system, which could cause the Remote Access SSL VPN service to become unresponsive. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must be authenticated as a VPN user of the affected device.
- Record
CVE-2025-20251- CVSS 3.1
- 8.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-1287
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2025-24843
8.5
A vulnerability in the Remote Access SSL VPN service for Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to create or delete arbitrary files on the underlying operating system. If critical system files are manipulated, new Remote Access SSL VPN sessions could be denied and existing sessions could be dropped, causing a denial of service (DoS) condition. An exploited device requires a manual reboot to recover.
This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation when processing HTTP requests. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to create or delete files on the underlying operating system, which could cause the Remote Access SSL VPN service to become unresponsive. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must be authenticated as a VPN user of the affected device.
- Record
EUVD-2025-24843- CVSS 3.1
- 8.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-62cp-qvq6-cfw4
8.5
A vulnerability in the Remote Access SSL VPN service for Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security...
A vulnerability in the Remote Access SSL VPN service for Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to create or delete arbitrary files on the underlying operating system. If critical system files are manipulated, new Remote Access SSL VPN sessions could be denied and existing sessions could be dropped, causing a denial of service (DoS) condition. An exploited device requires a manual reboot to recover.
This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation when processing HTTP requests. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to create or delete files on the underlying operating system, which could cause the Remote Access SSL VPN service to become unresponsive. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must be authenticated as a VPN user of the affected device.
- Record
GHSA-62cp-qvq6-cfw4- CVSS 3.1
- 8.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-1287
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
8.5
A vulnerability in the Remote Access SSL VPN service for Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to create or delete arbitrary files on the underlying operating system. If critical system files are manipulated, new Remote Access SSL VPN sessions could be denied and existing sessions could be dropped, causing a denial of service (DoS) condition. An exploited device requires a manual reboot to recover.
This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation when processing HTTP requests. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to create or delete files on the underlying operating system, which could cause the Remote Access SSL VPN service to become unresponsive. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must be authenticated as a VPN user of the affected device.
- Record
CVE-2025-20251- CVSS 3.1
- 8.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-1287
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2025-20251 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.5) in Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (asa) Software, published August 14, 2025. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.48%, the 41st percentile. No source names a fixed version.