CVE-2024-20419

Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem ≤ 8-202112

High EPSS

Published

17 July 2024

Modified

31 July 2025

Patch / advisory

View advisory

CVSS Score v3.1 10.0

Click a component to see what it means

Raw vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Score 0.81 99.6th percentile

Risk Priority 100 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-2024-20419 is a critical-severity Unverified Password Change (CWE-620) vulnerability in Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem. Its CVSS base score is 10.0 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Steganography (T1001.002); ranked in the top 0.4% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to IA-11 (Re-authentication) and IA-5 (Authenticator Management) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

A vulnerability in the authentication system of Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem (SSM On-Prem) stems from improper implementation of the password-change process. This flaw enables an unauthenticated remote attacker to alter the password of any user account, including administrative ones, by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. The issue carries a CVSS score of 10.0 and is tracked under CWE-620.

An attacker who successfully exploits the vulnerability can obtain access to the web UI or API using the privileges of the compromised account. The EPSS score stands at a current and peak value of 0.9147. The primary advisory reference is the Cisco security bulletin at sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-cssm-auth-sLw3uhUy.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2024-18134

Vulnerability Data

A vulnerability in the authentication system of Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem (SSM On-Prem) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to change the password of any user, including administrative users. This vulnerability is due to improper implementation of the password-change…

process. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow an attacker to access the web UI or API with the privileges of the compromised user.

CWE(s): CWE-620

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1001.002 Steganography Command And Control

Adversaries may use steganographic techniques to hide command and control traffic to make detection efforts more difficult.

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 →

T1003.007 Proc Filesystem Credential Access

Adversaries may gather credentials from the proc filesystem or `/proc`.

attack.mitre.org →

T1003.008 /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow Credential Access

Adversaries may attempt to dump the contents of <code>/etc/passwd</code> and <code>/etc/shadow</code> to enable offline password cracking.

attack.mitre.org →

T1005 Data from Local System Collection

Adversaries may search local system sources, such as file systems, configuration files, local databases, virtual machine files, or process memory, to find files of interest and sensitive data prior to Exfiltration.

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 →

Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-20110Same product: Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem

CVE-2026-20151Same product: Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem

CVE-2026-40588Shared CWE-620

CVE-2025-46389Shared CWE-620

CVE-2024-33699Shared CWE-620

CVE-2025-1107Shared CWE-620

CVE-2026-54175Shared CWE-620

CVE-2025-3603Shared CWE-620

CVE-2024-26520Shared CWE-620

CVE-2024-47784Shared CWE-620

Affected Assets

cisco

smart software manager on-prem

≤ 8-202112

Mitigating Controls

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

IA-11 Re-authentication good match

Re-authentication explicitly requires users to prove identity before performing sensitive actions such as password changes.

IA-5 Authenticator Management good match

Authenticator management requires identity verification during password distribution and changes, directly stopping unverified password updates.

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-01 partial match

blocks

Credential management practices directly enforce re-authentication for password changes.

PR.AA-03 partial match

blocks

Authentication requirements include verifying identity before allowing credential modifications.

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.5.17 Authentication information partial match

degrades

Requires secure management of authentication information, directly addressing the need to verify the original password before allowing a change.

A.6.5 Responsibilities after termination or change of employment partial match

removes

A.8.26 Application security requirements partial match

removes

A.8.27 Secure system architecture and engineering principles partial match

removes

A.8.28 Secure coding partial match

removes

A.8.5 Secure authentication partial match