CVE-2020-3153
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.
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
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 Medium
CVSS: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 Medium
CVSS: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 Medium
CVSS: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 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N - CVSS 3.0
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 4.9 Medium
AV: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.
| Source | Link | Date |
|---|---|---|
| PoC in GitHub | shubham0d/CVE-2020-3153 | 2020-05-04 |
| PoC in GitHub | raspberry-pie/CVE-2020-3153 | 2020-05-15 |
| PoC in GitHub | goichot/CVE-2020-3153 | 2020-05-19 |
| Metasploit | Cisco AnyConnect Privilege Escalations (CVE-2020-3153 and CVE-2020-3433) | 2020-08-05 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| exploitation, exploits | ||
| first indexed | CVE 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
tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ac-win-path-traverse-qO4HWBsj
seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Apr/43
packetstormsecurity.com/files/157340/Cisco-AnyConnect-Secure-Mobility-Client-4.8.01090-Privilege-Escalation.html
packetstormsecurity.com/files/158219/Cisco-AnyConnect-Path-Traversal-Privilege-Escalation.html
packetstormsecurity.com/files/159420/Cisco-AnyConnect-Privilege-Escalation.html
cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-3153
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3153
github.com/advisories/GHSA-xpxv-rfwh-rcfc