CVE-2020-3153
MEDIUMCISA KEVEPSS 98th pctlDescription
A vulnerability in the installer component of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows could allow an authenticated local attacker to copy user-supplied files to system level directories with system level privileges. The vulnerability is due to the incorrect handling of directory paths. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by creating a malicious file and copying the file to a system directory. An exploit could allow the attacker to copy malicious files to arbitrary locations with system level privileges. This could include DLL pre-loading, DLL hijacking, and other related attacks. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker needs valid credentials on the Windows system.
How to fix
TridentStack Control can deploy fixes like this automatically across your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet. See how it works
Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N
Exploit Intelligence
Very high risk: more likely to be exploited than 98% of all known CVEs.
Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows Uncontrolled Search Path Vulnerability
Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows allows for incorrect handling of directory paths. An attacker with valid credentials on Windows would be able to copy malicious files to arbitrary locations with system level privileges. This could include DLL pre-loading, DLL hijacking, and other related attacks.
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Remediation due: 2022-11-14
Associated with ransomware campaigns
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-427 vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2020-27955 | Critical | 9.8 | 83% | - | - |
| CVE-2017-6517 | Critical | 9.8 | 46% | - | - |
| CVE-2024-48990 | High | 7.8 | 20% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2019-9491 | High | 7.8 | 13% | - | - |
| CVE-2020-3433 | High | 7.8 | 10% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
| CVE-2022-2334 | High | 7.2 | 9.9% | - | - |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2020-3153?
Upgrade anyconnect secure mobility client to 4.8.02042 or later.
Is CVE-2020-3153 being actively exploited?
Yes. CVE-2020-3153 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which means exploitation has been observed in the wild. CISA has also linked it to known ransomware campaigns. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 2022-11-14. Treat it as a priority whatever its CVSS score says.
How severe is CVE-2020-3153?
CVE-2020-3153 has a CVSS v3 base score of 6.5, rated medium. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2020-3153 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for anyconnect secure mobility client (NVD). Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2025-10-28.