{"id":"CVE-2020-3452","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2020-3452"],"related":[],"title":"Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Firepower Threat Defense (FTD): Cisco ASA and FTD Read-Only Path Traversal Vulnerability","description":"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.","summary":"Cisco ASA and Firepower Threat Defense firewalls mishandle directory traversal sequences in HTTP request URLs. An unauthenticated remote attacker can read arbitrary files from the device's web services file system.","severity":"high","cvss":7.5,"epss":0.99992,"exploited":true,"exploited_at":"2021-11-03T00:00:00+00:00","products":[{"name":"Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Firepower Threat Defense (FTD)","fixed":[],"affected":"","ecosystem":"vendor"}],"ecosystems":["vendor"],"tags":["asa","cisco","exploited","firewall","ftd","infrastructure","self-hosted"],"not_affected_if":["default-config"],"how_to_check":null,"fix":"Apply the Cisco updates per vendor instructions (CISA required action); the specific fixed versions are not in the sources.","status":"open","published_at":"2020-07-22T20:15:11+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-10-23T21:43:34+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","category":"infrastructure","confidence":0.8,"triage":{"at":"2026-10-23T21:43:34Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"Apply the Cisco updates per vendor instructions (CISA required action); the specific fixed versions are not in the sources.","reach":"network","impact":"medium","summary":"Cisco ASA and Firepower Threat Defense firewalls mishandle directory traversal sequences in HTTP request URLs. An unauthenticated remote attacker can read arbitrary files from the device's web services file system.","category":"infrastructure","who_cares":["cisco","asa","ftd","firewall","self-hosted"],"confidence":0.8,"needs_auth":"no","worst_case":"Attacker reads arbitrary files from the device web services file system.","analyst_note":"Find the Cisco advisory and fixed-version list for CVE-2020-3452 and any HTTP-service exposure check; sources do not give versions or detection steps.","how_to_check":"unknown","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["default-config"],"user_interaction":"no","needs_special_setup":"unknown","severity_if_unknown":"high"},"cost_usd":0.000474,"input_tokens":2978,"output_tokens":353,"severity_before":"unknown"},"analyst_status":"queued","analyst_note":"Find the Cisco advisory and fixed-version list for CVE-2020-3452 and any HTTP-service exposure check; sources do not give versions or detection steps.","search":"'-2020':22A,25A '-3452':23A,26A 'access':206C 'adapt':2A,86C 'adaptive':28A 'affect':136C,157C,189C 'allow':99C,163C 'and':32A 'anyconnect':197C 'applianc':4A,88C 'appliance':30A 'arbitrari':67B,168C 'asa':5A,12A,31A,37B,47B,89C,208C 'attack':64B,103C,108C,139C,165C 'cannot':201C 'charact':153C 'cisco':1A,11A,27A,38B,46B,85C,92C 'conduct':105C 'configur':192C 'contain':150C 'could':98C,140C,162C 'craft':147C 'cve':21A,24A 'defens':9A,51B,95C 'defense':35A 'devic':71B,137C,158C,179C,190C 'directori':54B,106C,151C 'due':120C 'either':194C 'enabl':186C 'exploit':39B,141C,161C 'featur':198C 'file':68B,75B,112C,169C,174C,183C,212C,218C 'firepow':7A,49B,93C 'firepower':33A 'firewal':40B,52B 'ftd':10A,14A,36A,41B,96C,210C 'host':45B 'http':58B,131C,148C 'infrastructur':42B 'input':126C 'interfac':83C 'lack':123C 'mishandl':53B 'obtain':205C 'oper':215C 'os':217C 'path':18A 'process':133C 'proper':125C 'read':16A,66B,110C 'read-on':15A 'remot':63B,102C 'request':59B,132C,149C 'secur':3A,87C 'security':29A 'self':44B 'self-host':43B 'send':145C 'sensit':111C 'sequenc':56B,154C 'servic':74B,82C,173C,182C 'softwar':90C,97C 'success':160C 'system':76B,116C,175C,184C,211C,216C 'target':115C,178C 'threat':8A,34A,50B,94C 'travers':19A,55B,107C,152C 'unauthent':62B,101C 'under':214C 'url':60B,129C 'use':203C 'valid':127C 'view':167C 'vulner':20A,78C,118C,143C,200C 'web':73B,81C,172C,181C 'webvpn':195C 'within':170C","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":null,"tier":null,"verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"first_public_at":"2020-07-22T20:15:11+00:00","kev":{"dateAdded":"2021-11-03","dueDate":"2022-05-03","requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","knownRansomwareCampaignUse":"Unknown"},"cvss_vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N","cvss_by":"psirt@cisco.com","poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"kev","external_id":"CVE-2020-3452","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2020-3452","severity":null,"published_at":"2021-11-03T00:00:00+00:00","modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-25T10:39:08+00:00","note":null},{"source":"epss","external_id":"CVE-2020-3452","url":"https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-3452","severity":null,"published_at":null,"modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:13:44+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T19:13:44+00:00","note":null},{"source":"nvd","external_id":"CVE-2020-3452","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3452","severity":null,"published_at":"2020-07-22T20:15:11+00:00","modified_at":"2026-08-11T19:33:44+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","note":null}],"documents":[],"notice":"Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai"}