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Known exploited vulnerability · CISA KEV

CVE-2025-20333: Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security (ASA) Appliance and Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software VPN Web Server contain a buffer overflow vulnerability that allows for remote code execution. This vulnerability could be chained with CVE-2025-20362.

CVE-2025-20333

Exploited in the wild. Fix this first.

CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2025-09-25: attackers are using it right now.

CISA KEV
Listed
Added 2025-09-25 · federal fix-by 2025-09-26
EPSS (30 days)
71%
Higher than 99.4% of CVEs · 2026-11-01
CVSS v3.1
9.9 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

What CISA says

Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

The KEV due date refers to the deadline by which FCEB agencies are expected to review and begin implementing the guidance outlined in Emergency Directive (ED) 25-03 (URL listed below in Notes). Agencies must follow the mitigation steps provided by CISA (URL listed below in Notes) and vendor’s instructions (URL listed below in Notes). Adhere to the applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are not available.

NVD description · published 2025-09-25

A vulnerability in the VPN web server of Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper validation of user-supplied input in HTTP(S) requests. An attacker with valid VPN user credentials could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code as root, possibly resulting in the complete compromise of the affected device.

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How to check if you are exposed to CVE-2025-20333

  1. Find every Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance and Secure Firewall Threat Defense system you or your clients run, including ones exposed to the internet. Those come first: CISA only lists flaws attackers are already using.
  2. Compare each version with the fixed versions in the vendor advisory below. Where no fix exists yet, apply the vendor’s mitigation or take the system off the internet.
  3. Run a credentialed vulnerability scan to catch the systems you missed, then check that the next scan no longer reports CVE-2025-20333.

US federal agencies had to fix this by 2025-09-26. Everyone else should treat that deadline as a guide: if it has passed, this is overdue.

Affected versions

Versions the National Vulnerability Database lists as vulnerable to CVE-2025-20333. Check the vendor advisory for the exact fixed builds before you sign anything off.

ProductVulnerable versions
Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defensefrom 7.0.0 before 7.0.8.1; from 7.1.0 before 7.2.9; from 7.3.0 before 7.4.2.4; 7.6.0
Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Softwarefrom 9.12 before 9.12.4.72; from 9.14 before 9.14.4.28; from 9.16 before 9.16.4.85; from 9.17.0 before 9.17.1.45; from 9.18 before 9.18.4.47; from 9.19 before 9.19.1.37 and 2 more

Timeline

  1. · Published in the National Vulnerability Database
  2. · Added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, the same day it was published
  3. · Fix-by date for US federal agencies, passed 401 days ago

Vendor advisories and fixes

Weakness type

More exploited Cisco vulnerabilities

CISA lists 102 exploited Cisco vulnerabilities. The closest matches:

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Sources: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (version 2026.10.30); EPSS data from FIRST.org; CVSS and descriptions from the NIST National Vulnerability Database. Checked 2026-11-01. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

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