A vulnerability in the implementation of Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication for Cisco AnyConnect
A vulnerability in the implementation of Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication for Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Desktop Platforms, Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software, and Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to establish an authenticated AnyConnect session through an affected device running ASA or FTD Software. The authentication would need to be done by an unsuspecting third party, aka Session Fixation. The vulnerability exists because there is no mechanism for the ASA or FTD Software to detect that the authentication request originates from the AnyConnect client directly. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by persuading a user to click a crafted link and authenticating using the company's Identity Provider (IdP). A successful exploit could allow the attacker to hijack a valid authentication token and use that to establish an authenticated AnyConnect session through an affected device running ASA or FTD Software. This vulnerability affects the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client, and ASA Software and FTD Software configured for SAML 2.0-based SSO for AnyConnect Remote Access VPN that is running on the following Cisco products: 3000 Series Industrial Security Appliances (ISA), ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliances, ASA 5500-X Series Next-Generation Firewalls, ASA Services Module for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switches and Cisco 7600 Series Routers, Adaptive Security Virtual Appliance (ASAv), Firepower 2100 Series Security Appliance, Firepower 4100 Series Security Appliance, Firepower 9300 ASA Security Module, FTD Virtual (FTDv). Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvg65072, CSCvh87448.
- Published
- Apr 19, 2018
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 3.4% · 89th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-384
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Report tools
Action score
27
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 26 / 40 · 6.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 1 / 30 · 3.4%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- partial
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| cisco | anyconnect secure mobility client | cpe:2.3:a:cisco:anyconnect_secure_mobility_client |
| cisco | adaptive security appliance software | cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software |
Using anyconnect secure mobility client? Add it to your stack and be the first to know about CVEs like this one. (VPN gateway)
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- cisco adaptive security appliance software9.8(1.245)
- cisco anyconnect secure mobility client4.6(200)
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (cisco). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
n/a Cisco ASA Software, FTD Software, and AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client
- Cisco ASA Software, FTD Software, and AnyConnect Secure Mobility Clientaffected
Same product
cisco: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2020-3433Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows DLL Hijacking VulnerabilityKEV64This week
- CVE-2020-3153Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows Uncontrolled Search Path VulnerabilityKEV64This week
- CVE-2011-2039The helper application in Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client (formerly AnyConnect VPN Client) before 2.3.185 on Windows, and on Windows51Plan
- CVE-2011-2040The helper application in Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client (formerly AnyConnect VPN Client) before 2.5.3041, and 3.0.x before 3.0.62940Plan
- CVE-2012-3088Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client 3.1.x before 3.1.00495, and 3.2.x, does not check whether an HTTP request originally contains ScanSa38Monitor
- CVE-2012-2493The VPN downloader implementation in the WebLaunch feature in Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client 2.x before 2.5 MR6 on Windows, and 2.x38Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- A user must open a link or visit a page.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- none
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- None
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-384 · Session FixationCVSS vector
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- Session Credential Falsification through ForgingCAPEC-196likelihood: Medium · Medium
- Exploitation of Trusted IdentifiersCAPEC-21likelihood: High · High
- Accessing/Intercepting/Modifying HTTP CookiesCAPEC-31likelihood: High · High
- Manipulating Opaque Client-based Data TokensCAPEC-39likelihood: High · Medium
- Session Credential Falsification through PredictionCAPEC-59likelihood: High · High
- Reusing Session IDs (aka Session Replay)CAPEC-60likelihood: High · High
- Session FixationCAPEC-61likelihood: Medium · High
ATT&CK techniques
- Access Token ManipulationT1134
- Access Token Manipulation:Token Impersonation/TheftT1134.001
- Access Token Manipulation: Create Process with TokenT1134.002
- Access Token Manipulation: Make and Impersonate TokenT1134.003
- Steal Application Access TokenT1528
- Steal Web Session CookieT1539
- Use Alternate Authentication Material:Web Session CookieT1550.004
- Forge Web CredentialsT1606
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.
References
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/103939
- www.securitytracker.com/id/1040711
- www.securitytracker.com/id/1040712
- tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20180418-asaanyconnect
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.