High Access control

CVE-2023-20178 — Incorrect Default Permissions in Cisco Anyconnect Secure Mobility Client

A vulnerability in the client update process of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client Software for Windows and Cisco Secure Client Software for Windows could allow a low-privileged, authenticated, local attacker to elevate privileges to those of SYSTEM. The client update process is executed after a successful VPN connection is established. This vulnerability exists because improper permissions are assigned to a temporary directory that is created during the update process. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by abusing a specific function of the Windows installer process. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute code with SYSTEM privileges.

Published Jun 28, 2023 · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: cisco

Low

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.

How the score was calculated

EPSS 5.4% (30-day exploitation probability)+14
Technical severity (high)+6

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation

Not confirmed

Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.

EPSS FIRST

5.37%

ahead of 93% of scored CVEs · Oct 14, 2026

Affects

Cisco

Anyconnect Secure Mobility Client and 1 more

CVSS base

7.8

High · 3 source(s)

CISA SSVC assessment CISA

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

Exploitation

None

none · proof-of-concept · active

Automatable

can an attacker script the kill-chain steps

Technical impact

Total

partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Cisco Anyconnect Secure Mobility Client, Cisco Secure Client).
No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
EPSS ahead of 93% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (access control), errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status	Source
Cisco	Anyconnect Secure Mobility Client	< 4.10.07061	Vulnerable	NIST National Vulnerability Database
Cisco	Secure Client	version 4.10.02086version 5.0.01242version 5.0.00556version 5.0.00529version 5.0.00238version 4.10.06090version 4.10.06079version 4.10.05111 and 16 more version 4.10.05095version 4.10.05085version 4.10.04071version 4.10.04065version 4.10.03104version 4.10.01075version 4.10.00093version 4.9.06037version 4.9.05042version 4.9.04053version 4.9.04043version 4.9.03049version 4.9.03047version 4.9.02028version 4.9.01095version 4.9.00086	Vulnerable	CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Cisco	Secure Client	< 5.0.02075	Vulnerable	NIST National Vulnerability Database

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector

Local

Attack complexity

Low

Privileges required

Low

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Scored by
7.8	CVSS 3.1	High	1.8	5.9	psirt@cisco.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database
7.8	CVSS 3.1	High	1.8	5.9	nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database
7.8	CVSS 3.1	High	—	—	cisco via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov)

Weakness MITRE

Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.

CWE-276 · Incorrect Default Permissions

Other CVEs with this weakness →

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 5.37%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
Audit administrative actions and access to resources outside each user’s normal pattern.

endpoint telemetry (EDR)authentication logsapplication logs

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

2026
Affected products added · cisco/cisco secure client
Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
SSVC assessment updated
Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Record published
Oct 13, 2026
CVSS changed · 7.8
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Source status changed · → Modified
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Record created in this database
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
2023
CVE published
Jun 28, 2023 · cisco

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026

References

1 on the record

sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ac-csc-privesc
Vendor Advisory, NIST National Vulnerability Database

Elsewhere on this site

Cisco
every CVE for this vendor

Access control
same class

CWE-276
other pages naming this weakness

Related CVEs (same products)

High CVE-2020-3433 Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows DLL Hijacking Vulnerability KEV Aug 17, 2020
Medium CVE-2020-3153 Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows Uncontrolled Search Path Vulnerability KEV Feb 19, 2020

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2023-20178 is "Incorrect Default Permissions in Cisco Anyconnect Secure Mobility Client", rated High. It affects Anyconnect Secure Mobility Client (Cisco); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 5.37% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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