# CVE-2024-20435: Command injection in Cisco Secure Web Appliance

> Authenticated local attackers can execute arbitrary commands and gain root privileges on Cisco Secure Web Appliance via CLI input validation flaws.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 17 Jul 2024
- **Updated:** 1 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-p6xf-x5px-f2vq

## What is CVE-2024-20435?

CVE-2024-20435 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Cisco Asyncos, published on 17 Jul 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco AsyncOS for Secure Web Appliance could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute arbitrary commands and elevate privileges to root.

 This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input for the CLI. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the system and executing a crafted command on the affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system and elevate privileges to root. To successfully exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need at least guest credentials.

Weakness: CWE-250 (Execution with Unnecessary Privileges)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-20435?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cisco Asyncos.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-20435?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-20435 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-20435 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-20435 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Asyncos

- [CVE-2025-20393](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20393/): Cisco Multiple Products Improper Input Validation (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-76519](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-76519/): Cisco Secure Email Gateway Relative Path Traversal (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-76461](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-76461/): Cisco Secure Email Gateway SQL Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-15956](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-15956/): Cisco Web Security Appliance Unauthorized Device Reset Vulnerability (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2021-34698](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-34698/): Cisco Web Security Appliance Proxy Service Denial of Service Vulnerability (high 8.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-20435 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-20435 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Cisco Asyncos, published on 17 Jul 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-20435 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco Asyncos. 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-2024-20435/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-20435/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-20435
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-20435
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-20435

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-20435/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.