# CVE-2023-20247: Auth bypass in Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software

> Authenticated attackers can bypass multiple certificate authentication policies in Cisco ASA and FTD SSL VPNs, connecting with only username and password.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 1 Nov 2023
- **Updated:** 12 Jun 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-9qvw-jh6c-ffcq

## What is CVE-2023-20247?

CVE-2023-20247 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software, published on 1 Nov 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability in the remote access SSL VPN feature of Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to bypass a configured multiple certificate authentication policy and connect using only a valid username and password. This vulnerability is due to improper error handling during remote access VPN authentication. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted requests during remote access VPN session establishment. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass the configured multiple certificate authentication policy while retaining the privileges and permissions associated with the original connection profile.

Weakness: CWE-288 (Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-20247?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software, Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-20247?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-20247 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-20247 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-20247 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software

- [CVE-2025-20333](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20333/): Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Buffer Overflow (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2016-6366](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-6366/): Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) SNMP Buffer Overflow (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-20349](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-20349/): Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Heap Inspection (high 8.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-20353](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-20353/): Cisco ASA and FTD Denial of Service (high 8.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2016-6367](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-6367/): Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) CLI Remote Code Execution (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-20247 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-20247 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software, published on 1 Nov 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-20247 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20247/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20247/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-20247
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-20247
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-20247

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20247/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.