PT-2022-6663 · Cisco · Cisco Secure Client

Filip Dragovic

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Published

2022-10-27

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Updated

2024-01-25

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CVE-2023-20178

CVSS v3.1

7.8

High

VectorAV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Name of the Vulnerable Software and Affected Versions Cisco Secure Client (formerly Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client) versions (affected versions not specified)
Description A vulnerability in the client update process of 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, such as the vpndownloader.exe process, which creates a directory in c:windowstemp with default permissions. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute code with SYSTEM privileges, potentially allowing for arbitrary file deletion as the NT AuthoritySYSTEM account.
Recommendations As a temporary workaround, consider restricting access to the vpndownloader.exe process until a patch is available. Avoid using the default permissions for the temporary directory created by vpndownloader.exe in the c:windowstemp directory. At the moment, there is no information about a newer version that contains a fix for this vulnerability.

Exploit

Incorrect Default Permissions

Weakness Enumeration

Related Identifiers

BDU:2023-03181
CVE-2023-20178

Affected Products

Cisco Secure Client