# CVE-2024-20440: Information disclosure in Cisco Smart License Utility

> Unauthenticated remote attackers can access sensitive log files containing API credentials via crafted HTTP requests in Cisco Smart Licensing Utility.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 4 Sep 2024
- **Updated:** 1 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-g9j7-w55p-jq3w

## What is CVE-2024-20440?

CVE-2024-20440 is a high-severity 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 could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to access sensitive information.

This vulnerability is due to excessive verbosity in a debug log file. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to obtain log files that contain sensitive data, including credentials that can be used to access the API.

Weakness: CWE-532 (Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-20440?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cisco Smart License Utility.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-20440?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-20440 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-20440 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-20440 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Cisco Smart Licensing Utility UnAuthenticated Logs Exposure Leaking Plaintext Credentials (nuclei): http/cves/2024/CVE-2024-20440.yaml

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Smart License Utility

- [CVE-2024-20439](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-20439/): Cisco Smart Licensing Utility Static Credential (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-20440 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-20440 is a high-severity 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: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2024-20440 exists.

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-2024-20440/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-20440/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-20440
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-20440
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-20440

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-20440/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.