Security Resilience

CVE-2023-20107

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance ≤ 9.12.1

Published
23 March 2023
Modified
11 August 2026
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 7.5
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
EPSS Score 0.0072 53th percentile
Risk Priority 61 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2023-20107 is a high-severity Insufficient Entropy in PRNG (CWE-332) vulnerability in Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique LSASS Memory (T1003.001); ranked in the top 47% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A04:2025 Cryptographic Failures

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A vulnerability in the deterministic random bit generator (DRBG), also known as pseudorandom number generator (PRNG), in Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software for Cisco ASA 5506-X, ASA 5508-X, and ASA 5516-X Firewalls…

more

could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a cryptographic collision, enabling the attacker to discover the private key of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient entropy in the DRBG for the affected hardware platforms when generating cryptographic keys. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by generating a large number of cryptographic keys on an affected device and looking for collisions with target devices. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to impersonate an affected target device or to decrypt traffic secured by an affected key that is sent to or from an affected target device.

CWE(s)
CWE-332CWE-331

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1003.001 LSASS Memory Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access credential material stored in the process memory of the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS).
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.002 Security Account Manager Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to extract credential material from the Security Account Manager (SAM) database either through in-memory techniques or through the Windows Registry where the SAM database is stored.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.004 LSA Secrets Credential Access
Adversaries with SYSTEM access to a host may attempt to access Local Security Authority (LSA) secrets, which can contain a variety of different credential materials, such as credentials for service accounts.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.005 Cached Domain Credentials Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access cached domain credentials used to allow authentication to occur in the event a domain controller is unavailable.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.006 DCSync Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access credentials and other sensitive information by abusing a Windows Domain Controller's application programming interface (API)(Citation: Microsoft DRSR Dec 2017) (Citation: Microsoft GetNCCChanges) (Citati…
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.007 Proc Filesystem Credential Access
Adversaries may gather credentials from the proc filesystem or `/proc`.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-20331Same product: Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense
CVE-2025-20196Same vendor: Cisco
CVE-2016-6367Same product: Cisco Asa 5506-X
CVE-2026-20006Same product: Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense
CVE-2026-20007Same product: Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense
CVE-2024-20407Same product: Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense
CVE-2023-20031Same product: Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense
CVE-2023-20267Same product: Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense
CVE-2024-20431Same product: Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense
CVE-2023-20070Same product: Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense

Affected Assets

cisco
adaptive security appliance
≤ 9.12.1
cisco
secure firewall threat defense
≤ 6.4.0

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 9 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V11.3.4
  • V7.2.3
  • V11.5.1

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

SC-12 Cryptographic Key Establishment and Management
addresses: CWE-331 CWE-332

Approved key-establishment methods mandate sufficient entropy during key generation, eliminating entropy-starved keys.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.AA-03 partial match
blocks

Password-strength policies implicitly require sufficient entropy, but the control addresses authentication rather than algorithmic randomness.

PR.DS-01 partial match
blocks

Proper encryption for data-at-rest requires sufficient entropy for keys/nonces; eliminating the weakness therefore supports but does not fully realize the control.

PR.DS-02 partial match
blocks

Cryptographic protection of data-in-transit depends on adequate entropy; the weakness directly undermines the control's effectiveness.

PR.PS-06 partial match
blocks

Secure SDLC practices can detect and prevent weak PRNG usage via reviews and tooling, but address only one narrow aspect of the control.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.7.3 Securing offices, rooms and facilities partial match
removes
A.8.19 Installation of software on operational systems partial match
removes
A.8.24 Use of cryptography partial match
blocks

Mandates use of cryptography that must rely on cryptographically strong RNGs, directly addressing insufficient entropy.

A.8.25 Secure development life cycle partial match
blocks

Secure SDLC requires selection of approved cryptographic primitives including proper RNG sources.

A.8.26 Application security requirements partial match
removes
A.8.27 Secure system architecture and engineering principles partial match
blocks

Secure architecture principles include use of approved cryptographic modules with adequate entropy sources.

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (higher-evidence rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Oracle Linux 8 (2 rules)
  • V-248524 OL 8 must implement NIST FIPS-validated cryptography for the following: To provision digital signatures, to generate cryptographic hashes, and to protect data requiring data-at-rest protections in accordance with applicable federal laws, Executive Orders, directives, policies, regulations, and standards. blocks CWE-331
  • V-248563 The OL 8 SSH server must be configured to use strong entropy. blocks CWE-331, CWE-332
RHEL 7 (1 rule)
  • V-204497 The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must implement NIST FIPS-validated cryptography for the following: to provision digital signatures, to generate cryptographic hashes, and to protect data requiring data-at-rest protections in accordance with applicable federal laws, Executive Orders, directives, policies, regulations, and standards. blocks CWE-331
RHEL 8 (2 rules)
  • V-230223 RHEL 8 must implement NIST FIPS-validated cryptography for the following: To provision digital signatures, to generate cryptographic hashes, and to protect data requiring data-at-rest protections in accordance with applicable federal laws, Executive Orders, directives, policies, regulations, and standards. blocks CWE-331
  • V-230253 RHEL 8 must ensure the SSH server uses strong entropy. blocks CWE-332

References