CVE-2020-3153Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows Uncontrolled Search Path Vulnerability

Patch nowMedium6.5ExploitedEPSS 29%

CVE-2020-3153 is a uncontrolled search path in Cisco AnyConnect Secure, rated medium (6.5 on CVSS 3.1).

Why this priority: Exploited in the wild: listed in CISA's KEV catalog.

Published 19 Feb 2020 · Updated 12 Aug 2026 · NVD status: Analyzed

What it is

The software loads libraries or programs from a location an attacker can write to.

How it is reached

An attacker can exploit it by someone who can already run code or sign in on the machine, with an ordinary user account, and nobody has to click anything.

What an attacker gains

A successful attack can change data or behaviour. In practice, this kind of flaw lets an attacker run their code inside your build or your running service. The damage can spread past the vulnerable component into others.

Is it being exploited?

CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2022-10-24: it is being exploited in the wild. CISA links it to ransomware campaigns. EPSS estimates a 29% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 98% of scored CVEs.

What to do

Treat it as urgent: it is on CISA's KEV list. CISA's deadline for US federal agencies: 2022-11-14.
Upgrade Cisco AnyConnect Secure to 4.8.02042 or later.
Limit who can run code or sign in on the hosts that run it.
Check exposed instances for signs of compromise, not only for the version.

Description from NVD

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.

What this means for your architecture.

A CVE names a product. Whether it matters depends on where that product sits in your systems: what reaches it, which trust boundary it guards and what it can reach once compromised. Veriom maps your components, their relationships and your trust boundaries from your code, cloud and delivery evidence, so you can see where a component like this sits. The radar itself does not look at your systems.

Components it touches

Network edge devices: VPNs, firewalls, routers and gateways. They sit between the internet and internal networks, so a flaw in one is often the first step into everything behind it.
Build pipelines, dependencies and plugins. The flaw sits between third-party code and your build or runtime.
Update channels. The flaw sits between third-party code and your build or runtime.

Trust boundaries in play

Host boundary. The attacker needs a foothold on the machine first; the flaw turns a small foothold into a bigger one.
Isolation between components. The impact crosses out of the vulnerable component into others it should be isolated from.
Between third-party code and your build or runtime. An attacker who crosses it can run their code inside your build or your running service.

Questions to answer about your own systems

Where does Cisco AnyConnect Secure run in your systems, and at which version?
Which of those hosts also run code or users you do not fully trust?
What can it reach once compromised: which data stores, secrets and services?

See how Veriom maps an architecture Take the interactive tour

Advisories

Exploits and proofs of concept

Sources

CVE records and CVSS scores from the NVD CVE API. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
Exploitation status from CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Exploit likelihood from FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), refreshed daily.
Explanations are written by Veriom from fixed templates over each record’s data, not by a person reviewing each CVE. Descriptions are quoted from the records as published.