CVE-2020-3452
HIGHCISA KEVEPSS 100th pctlDescription
A vulnerability in the web services interface of Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct directory traversal attacks and read sensitive files on a targeted system. The vulnerability is due to a lack of proper input validation of URLs in HTTP requests processed by an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request containing directory traversal character sequences to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to view arbitrary files within the web services file system on the targeted device. The web services file system is enabled when the affected device is configured with either WebVPN or AnyConnect features. This vulnerability cannot be used to obtain access to ASA or FTD system files or underlying operating system (OS) files.
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:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Exploit Intelligence
Very high risk: more likely to be exploited than 100% of all known CVEs.
Cisco ASA and FTD Read-Only Path Traversal Vulnerability
Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) contain an improper input validation vulnerability when HTTP requests process URLs. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request containing directory traversal character sequences to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to view arbitrary files within the web services file system on the targeted device.
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Remediation due: 2022-05-03
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2024-3400 | Critical | 10.0 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | - |
| CVE-2021-45105 | Medium | 5.9 | 100% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2021-44228 | Critical | 10.0 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
| CVE-2021-21985 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
| CVE-2018-7600 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
| CVE-2018-0296 | High | 7.5 | 100% | KEV | Fix |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2020-3452?
Published advisories record a fix for 2 affected products. The "How to fix" section on this page lists the fixed version and source advisory for each one, so apply the entry matching what you actually run.
Is CVE-2020-3452 being actively exploited?
Yes. CVE-2020-3452 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which means exploitation has been observed in the wild. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 2022-05-03. Treat it as a priority whatever its CVSS score says.
How severe is CVE-2020-3452?
CVE-2020-3452 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.5, rated high. 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-2020-3452 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for adaptive security appliance software (NVD), firepower threat defense (NVD). Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
Embed a live status badge for CVE-2020-3452
Markdown
[](https://tridentstack.com/cve/CVE-2020-3452)HTML
<a href="https://tridentstack.com/cve/CVE-2020-3452"><img src="https://tridentstack.com/cve/badge/CVE-2020-3452.svg" alt="CVE-2020-3452"></a>Find and fix vulnerabilities across your fleet
TridentStack Control continuously scans your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet for known vulnerabilities, prioritizes them by severity and active exploitation, and patches them automatically.
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.