CVE-2020-3580 Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Firepower Threat Defense (FTD): web page flaw
In plain words: A web app can be made to act on someone's behalf or reach places it should not. Stolen sessions, actions taken as the victim, or access to internal systems.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline May 3, 2022
What to do
- Install Cisco's security update for Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Firepower Threat Defense (FTD). If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
- Never expose the device's admin page to the internet.
- After patching a device that was exposed, follow the vendor's compromise checks, end active sessions and change passwords.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: They face the internet and guard the whole network, so a flaw here can hand attackers a way in — and these devices usually run no antivirus, so break-ins go unnoticed.
The details
- Official name
- Cisco ASA and FTD Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerability
- Product
- Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Firepower Threat Defense (FTD)
- CISA description
- Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) contain an insufficient input validation vulnerability for user-supplied input by the web services interface. Successful exploitation could allow an attacker to perform cross-site scripting (XSS) in the context of the interface or access sensitive browser-based information.
- Type of flaw
- Web page flaw (CWE-79)
- Confirmed exploited
- Nov 3, 2021 — known to be used in ransomware attacks
- US federal patch deadline
- May 3, 2022
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Answering about CVE-2020-3580 ·
Questions about CVE-2020-3580
Is CVE-2020-3580 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2020-3580 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Nov 3, 2021, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks, including by ransomware groups.
How do I fix CVE-2020-3580?
Install Cisco's security update for Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Firepower Threat Defense (FTD). If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
Am I affected by CVE-2020-3580?
Only if you use Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Firepower Threat Defense (FTD). Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.