CVE-2020-3433: Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows DLL Hijacking Vulnerability

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Name

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows DLL Hijacking Vulnerability

Vendor

Cisco

Product

AnyConnect Secure

Added to the catalog

2022-10-24

Due date for US federal agencies

2022-11-14

Weaknesses

CWE-427

Catalog version

2026.10.30

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows interprocess communication (IPC) channel allows for insufficient validation of resources that are loaded by the application at run time. An attacker with valid credentials on Windows could execute code on the affected machine with SYSTEM privileges.

Required action (CISA)

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Ransomware use: CISA marks this vulnerability as known to be used in ransomware campaigns. CISA does not say which group used it.

Links in CISA's notes

• https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-anyconnect-dll-F26WwJW
• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3433

Read on 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z under licence cisa-kev-cc0@b0067899 from https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json

NVD analysis

Status

Analyzed

Published

2020-08-17T18:15:12.947

Last modified

2026-08-12T05:17:30.810

Weaknesses

CWE-427

A vulnerability in the interprocess communication (IPC) channel of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows could allow an authenticated, local attacker to perform a DLL hijacking attack. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to have valid credentials on the Windows system. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of resources that are loaded by the application at run time. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted IPC message to the AnyConnect process. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the affected machine with SYSTEM privileges. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to have valid credentials on the Windows system.

References

• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/159420/Cisco-AnyConnect-Privilege-Escalation.html (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
• https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-anyconnect-dll-F26WwJW (Vendor Advisory)
• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/159420/Cisco-AnyConnect-Privilege-Escalation.html (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
• https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-anyconnect-dll-F26WwJW (Vendor Advisory)
• https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-3433 (US Government Resource)

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

Read on 2026-11-02T23:41:51.476Z under licence nvd-api-terms-of-use@ff2a5288 from https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?cveId=CVE-2020-3433

CVE record

Title (CNA)

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows DLL Hijacking Vulnerability

Assigner

cisco

State

PUBLISHED

Published

2020-08-17T18:01:06.828Z

Updated

2026-08-12T03:55:39.452Z

Problem types

CWE-427

A vulnerability in the interprocess communication (IPC) channel of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows could allow an authenticated, local attacker to perform a DLL hijacking attack. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to have valid credentials on the Windows system. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of resources that are loaded by the application at run time. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted IPC message to the AnyConnect process. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the affected machine with SYSTEM privileges. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to have valid credentials on the Windows system.

References

• 20200805 Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows DLL Hijacking Vulnerability
• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/159420/Cisco-AnyConnect-Privilege-Escalation.html

Read on 2026-11-03T01:04:26.848Z under licence cve-terms-of-use@81bfa2f3 from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2020/3xxx/CVE-2020-3433.json

Defensive techniques (MITRE D3FEND)

D3FEND maps these defensive techniques to the weakness (CWE) that NVD lists for this CVE, through the digital artifacts the weakness affects. D3FEND does not say they stop this vulnerability.

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