CVE-2025-20135
Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance and Firepower Threat Defense Software DHCP Denial of Service Vulnerability
Public exploit available. Not confirmed exploited in the wild yet. A vendor fix is available.
What to do
The vendor has published a fix. Version details are below where the sources state them.
What it is
From the CVE record
A vulnerability in the DHCP client functionality of Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to exhaust available memory. This vulnerability is due to improper validation of incoming DHCP packets. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by repeatedly sending crafted DHCPv4 packets to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to exhaust available memory, which would affect availability of services and prevent new processes from starting, resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS) condition that would require a manual reboot. Note: On Cisco Secure FTD Software, this vulnerability does not affect management interfaces.
In plain language
No plain-language summary for this CVE yet.
Exploitation
Where each signal puts this CVE on the scale from published to confirmed exploited.
- CISA KEV
Not in the catalog. CISA has not confirmed exploitation.
- Public exploits
0 sources with a proof of concept or module.
Exploit links, PoCs and Metasploit modules after sign-in- EPSS
0.2% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, which ranks it in the 9th percentile of scored CVEs.
Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST.org. A probability, not a confirmation.
Lifecycle
5 events over 315 days, from the signal feeds we watch.
- OpenVAS check added
- Patch availablerecord updated
- Publishedweakness classified
Affected products
Technical detail
CVSS 3.1 vector
Open in the CVSS calculatorCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
Scored 4.3 by NVD.
How it is reached
- Attack Vector AdjacentRequires access to the local network (e.g. same Wi-Fi, Bluetooth)
- Attack Complexity LowNo special conditions — the attack can be reliably reproduced
- Privileges Required NoneNo authentication required — anyone can exploit this
- User Interaction NoneNo user interaction needed — fully automated exploitation
Scope
- Scope UnchangedImpact is limited to the vulnerable component itself
Impact if exploited
- Confidentiality NoneNo confidentiality impact
- Integrity NoneNo integrity impact
- Availability LowReduced performance or intermittent disruption of service
Weaknesses
Sources
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