CVE-2020-3153: in the CISA KEV catalogue
Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows Uncontrolled Search Path Vulnerability. CISA added CVE-2020-3153 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2022-10-24 with a default due date of 2022-11-14. Known ransomware campaign use: Known. Forensic triage flag: No.
Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows allows for incorrect handling of directory paths. An attacker with valid credentials on Windows would be able to copy malicious files to arbitrary locations with system level privileges. This could include DLL pre-loading, DLL hijacking, and other related attacks. (CISA description)
- Vendor / product
- Cisco AnyConnect Secure
- CWE
- CWE-427
- CISA required action
- Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- EPSS
- 29%, percentile 98 (scored 2026-11-03)
EPSS puts about 29 in 100 odds (29%) on exploitation activity being observed in the next 30 days. Its score is higher than or equal to that of 98% of scored CVEs. This is a model estimate about exploitation anywhere, not about your environment.
Vendor and reference links (from CISA)
Your own deadline under CISA BOD 26-04 depends on exposure, automatability and technical impact: work it out with the BOD 26-04 calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2020-3153 in the CISA KEV catalogue?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2020-3153 (Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Windows Uncontrolled Search Path Vulnerability) to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2022-10-24. CISA's default due date for it is 2022-11-14.
Is CVE-2020-3153 used in ransomware attacks?
CISA marks known ransomware campaign use as Known for CVE-2020-3153.
What should I do about CVE-2020-3153?
CISA's required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Sources
- CISA, Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog (accessed 2026-11-03)
- FIRST, Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) (EPSS by FIRST; scores generated by Empirical Security)
- NVD record for CVE-2020-3153