# CVE-2024-20439: Cisco Smart Licensing Utility Static Credential

> An unauthenticated remote attacker can log in with administrative rights using static credentials, compromising the Cisco Smart Licensing Utility.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 31 Mar 2025 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 4 Sep 2024
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-mcxm-8hr3-frmx

## What is CVE-2024-20439?

CVE-2024-20439 is a critical vulnerability in Cisco Smart License Utility, published on 4 Sep 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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.

Weakness: CWE-798 (Use of Hard-coded Credentials), CWE-912 (Hidden Functionality)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-20439?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cisco Smart License Utility.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-20439?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-20439 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 21 Apr 2025.

## Is CVE-2024-20439 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2024-20439 in the wild since at least 31 Mar 2025.

Public exploit code:

- Hardcoded Admin Credentials For Cisco Smart Licensing Utility API (nuclei): http/cves/2024/CVE-2024-20439.yaml

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Smart License Utility

- [CVE-2024-20440](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-20440/): Information disclosure in Cisco Smart License Utility (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-20439 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-20439 is a critical vulnerability in Cisco Smart License Utility, published on 4 Sep 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2024-20439 in the wild since at least 31 Mar 2025.

Affected product: Cisco Smart License Utility. 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-2024-20439/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-20439/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-20439
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-20439
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-20439

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-20439/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.