---
id: "CVE-2024-20439"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2024-20439"]
title: "cisco smart license utility: A vulnerability in Cisco Smart Licensing Utility (CSLU) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to log into\u2026"
severity: "critical"
cvss: 9.8
epss: null
exploited: true
status: "open"
category: "vendor"
products: [{"name": "Cisco Smart Licensing Utility", "fixed": [], "affected": "", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "cisco smart license utility", "fixed": ["2.3.0"], "affected": ">= 2.0.0, < 2.3.0", "ecosystem": "vendor"}]
ecosystems: ["vendor"]
tags: ["cisco", "exploited", "network-admin", "smart-licensing-utility", "vendor"]
not_affected_if: ["product-not-installed"]
published_at: "2024-09-04T17:15:13+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-23T22:29:05+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "kev", "url": "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2024-20439", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00"}, {"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-20439", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T22:29:05+00:00"}]
---

# cisco smart license utility: A vulnerability in Cisco Smart Licensing Utility (CSLU) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to log into…

Cisco Smart Licensing Utility ships with a hardcoded static credential that lets a remote attacker log in without an account. The login grants administrative access to the affected system.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## Affected

- vendor:Cisco Smart Licensing Utility affected ? fixed ?
- vendor:cisco smart license utility affected >= 2.0.0, < 2.3.0 fixed 2.3.0

## How to check

Check whether Cisco Smart Licensing Utility is installed on your hosts and whether its admin interface is reachable from untrusted networks.

## Fix

Apply the mitigations in Cisco's vendor advisory, or discontinue use of the product if no mitigation is available (per CISA KEV required action). Fixed version: unknown

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00 kev https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2024-20439
- 2026-10-23T22:29:05+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-20439

## From the sources

A vulnerability in Cisco Smart Licensing Utility (CSLU) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to log into an affected system by using a static administrative credential.

 This vulnerability is due to an undocumented static user credential for an administrative account. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by using the static credentials to login to the affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to login to the affected system with administrative rights over the CSLU application API.

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_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_