Security Resilience

CVE-2024-20329

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software 9.17.1 … 9.19.1.9

Published
23 October 2024
Modified
01 August 2025
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 9.9
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.012 66th percentile
Risk Priority 73 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-2024-20329 is a critical-severity Improper Neutralization of Expression/Command Delimiters (CWE-146) vulnerability in Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software. Its CVSS base score is 9.9 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Junk Data (T1001.001); ranked in the top 34% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SI-10 (Information Input Validation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A vulnerability in the SSH subsystem of Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute operating system commands as root. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user input. An attacker could exploit…

more

this vulnerability by submitting crafted input when executing remote CLI commands over SSH. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute commands on the underlying operating system with root-level privileges. An attacker with limited user privileges could use this vulnerability to gain complete control over the system.

CWE(s)
CWE-146

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1001.001 Junk Data Command And Control
Adversaries may add junk data to protocols used for command and control to make detection more difficult.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003 OS Credential Dumping Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to dump credentials to obtain account login and credential material, normally in the form of a hash or a clear text password.
attack.mitre.org →
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 →
T1003.005 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 →
T1008 Fallback Channels Command And Control
Adversaries may use fallback or alternate communication channels if the primary channel is compromised or inaccessible in order to maintain reliable command and control and to avoid data transfer thresholds.
attack.mitre.org →
T1010 Application Window Discovery Discovery
Adversaries may attempt to get a listing of open application windows.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2026-20082Same product: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software
CVE-2024-20526Same product: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software
CVE-2014-2120Same product: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software
CVE-2026-20009Same product: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software
CVE-2016-1287Same product: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software
CVE-2023-20035Same vendor: Cisco
CVE-2024-20470Same vendor: Cisco
CVE-2024-20341Same product: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software
CVE-2026-20039Same product: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software
CVE-2026-20349Same product: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software

Affected Assets

cisco
adaptive security appliance software
9.17.1, 9.17.1.10, 9.17.1.11, 9.17.1.13, 9.17.1.15

Mitigating Controls

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

SI-10 Information Input Validation good match

Input validation directly stops unneutralized expression/command delimiters from reaching downstream components.

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.PS-06 partial match
blocks

Secure SDLC practices directly require input neutralization to prevent delimiter/command injection.

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.8.19 Installation of software on operational systems partial match
removes
A.8.25 Secure development life cycle partial match
blocks

A.8.25 mandates secure SDLC practices including secure coding guidelines, security requirements, checkpoints, testing (scans/penetration), and developer training that reach improper neutralization of delimiters, but leaves a bounded remainder (e.g. inconsistent application across outsourced development, incomplete coverage of all languages/environments, or post-SDLC changes).

A.8.26 Application security requirements partial match
blocks

A.8.26 explicitly calls out the need to identify and address requirements for resilience against SQL injections and similar attacks (item d), plus input validation (j) and related controls, which when specified and met stop exploitation of command/expression delimiter issues; this covers only the requirements-identification slice of CWE-146, not the actual implementation or completeness of neutralization in code.

A.8.27 Secure system architecture and engineering principles partial match
blocks

Secure architecture principles reduce attack surface but do not prescribe delimiter neutralization.

A.8.28 Secure coding partial match
prevents

Secure coding standards require proper neutralization of special elements, directly eliminating this weakness.

A.8.29 Security testing in development and acceptance partial match
finds

Security testing can detect the weakness but does not prevent it by itself.

References