Evidence used
- No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
- The selected CVSS metric records a network-reachable, unauthenticated path with no user interaction.
- EPSS is 0.68% for the current model date.
BlackTreeCVE IntelligenceFull vulnerability report · 2023
CVE-2023-20042High confidence
Cisco Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software — Improper Resource Shutdown or Release
Cisco · Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software
Official source article: Cisco CISCO-SA-ASAFTD-SSL-DOS-KXG8MPUA ↗. Check the applicable product and release in the original source.
6.8MediumCVSS 3.1
Scheduled
Fix not verifiedMedium technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority.
R
Open reassessment dashboard →Operational reassessment
Published severity in operational context
Published severityMedium→Operational priority:Medium, unchanged from published severity.unchanged
Compensating controls
- Restrict the affected network interface to trusted sources where business-safe.
- Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.
Verification
- Confirm that the asset runs Cisco Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and falls inside the recorded affected range.
- Recheck the vendor advisory before scheduling a change because no verified fixed version is currently retained.
- Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
- Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Medium technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority.
Fix not verified01
What, why and how
A vulnerability in the AnyConnect SSL VPN feature of Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to an implementation error within the SSL/TLS session handling process that can prevent the release of a session handler under specific conditions. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted SSL/TLS traffic to an affected device, increasing the probability of session handler leaks. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to eventually deplete the available session handler pool, preventing new sessions from being established and causing a DoS condition.
What
A vulnerability in the AnyConnect SSL VPN feature of Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to an implementation error within the SSL/TLS session handling process that can prevent the release of a session handler under specific conditions. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted SSL/TLS traffic to an affected device, increasing the probability of session handler leaks. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to eventually deplete the available session handler pool, preventing new sessions from being established and causing a DoS condition.
Why
The product does not release or incorrectly releases a resource before it is made available for re-use.
How
An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may disrupt the affected service.
What
A vulnerability in the AnyConnect SSL VPN feature of Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to an implementation error within the SSL/TLS session handling process that can prevent the release of a session handler under specific conditions. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted SSL/TLS traffic to an affected device, increasing the probability of session handler leaks. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to eventually deplete the available session handler pool, preventing new sessions from being established and causing a DoS condition.
Why
The product does not release or incorrectly releases a resource before it is made available for re-use.
How
An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may disrupt the affected service.
02
Exploit reality and attack path
CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.
Observed exploitation No confirmed evidence
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.
Public PoC / exploit material None recorded
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.
- Likely attack path
- a network path → Improper Resource Shutdown or Release → disrupt the affected service
- Attack surface
- Network
- Privileges required
- None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High: exploitation depends on specific conditions
- Security boundary
- Changed: exploitation can affect a different security authority
- Weakness
?
CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness. - CWE-404 ↗
CWE-404: Improper Resource Shutdown or Release. The product does not release or incorrectly releases a resource before it is made available for re-use.
- CVSS vector
?
CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity. CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:HCommon Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.
AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACHighAttack complexity: Successful exploitation depends on specific conditions outside the attacker's direct control.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SChangedScope: The attack can affect a component governed by a different security authority.CNoneConfidentiality impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.INoneIntegrity impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.AHighAvailability impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.- Post-exploitation / living off the land
- No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
03
Patch and workaround
Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.
- Status
?
Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change. - Fix not verified
- Affected
- Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software: 9.16.1, 9.16.1.28, 9.16.2, 9.16.2.3, 9.16.2.7, 9.16.2.11, 9.16.2.13, 9.16.2.14, 9.16.3, 9.16.3.3, 9.16.3.14, 9.16.3.15, 9.16.3.19, 9.16.3.23, 9.16.4, 9.16.4.9, 9.17.1, 9.17.1.7, 9.17.1.9, 9.17.1.10, 9.17.1.11, 9.17.1.13, 9.17.1.15, 9.17.1.20, 9.18.1, 9.18.1.3, 9.18.2, 9.18.2.5, 9.18.2.7, 9.19.1
- Cisco Firepower Threat Defense Software: 7.0.0, 7.0.0.1, 7.0.1, 7.0.1.1, 7.0.2, 7.0.2.1, 7.0.3, 7.0.4, 7.0.5, 7.1.0, 7.1.0.1, 7.1.0.2, 7.1.0.3, 7.2.0, 7.2.0.1, 7.2.1, 7.2.2, 7.2.3, 7.3.0, 7.3.1, 7.3.1.1
- Fixed
- No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
- Action
- No verified patch reference is present in the current structured sources. Check the vendor advisory before making a change.
- Workaround
- No verified workaround is recorded. If business-safe, reduce exposure to the affected interface and allow only trusted sources until authoritative guidance is available.
04
Evidence and provenance
Published 1 Nov 2023 · Last source change 2 Aug 2024, 08:57 UTC · CWE-404 · Improper Resource Shutdown or Release
CVE recordCVE.org · 5.1
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
?
The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2023-24221
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD modified after enrichment
Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.
Material change intelligence
View recent updates ↗What changed after publication
No material field changes have been recorded since change tracking began. Routine source refreshes and cosmetic edits are intentionally excluded.
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
- CVE
- Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
- CVSS
- Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
- EPSS
- Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
- CWE
- Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
- CNA
- CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
- CISA ADP
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
- NVD
- National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
- CERT / CSIRT
- A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
- PoC
- Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
- CSAF
- Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
- LoTL
- Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.