CVE-2021-34781Network attack vector

Service outage via failed SSH session exhaustion

Published Oct 27, 2021 · Updated Nov 7, 2024

Resource exhaustion in Cisco FTD Software allows remote attackers to halt multi-instance devices with crafted SSH connection floods. The SSH connection-processing path lacks proper error handling for failed session establishment, allowing repeated failures to exhaust resources. Exploitation requires access from an address in the configured SSH command range, and recovery requires a manual device reload.

CVSS severity8.6
High
EPSS probability1.39%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Resource exhaustion in Cisco FTD Software allows remote attackers to halt multi-instance devices with crafted SSH connection floods. The SSH connection-processing path lacks proper error handling for failed session establishment, allowing repeated failures to exhaust resources. Exploitation requires access from an address in the configured SSH command range, and recovery requires a manual device reload.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-34781
Published
Oct 27, 2021
Updated
Nov 7, 2024
Vendor
ClamAV
Product
Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software
Classifications
CWE-119, T1499.003
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 27, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 7, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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  1. Affected versionversion=n/a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

ClamAV · Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Softwareversion=n/a

Published CVSS scores

8.6CiscoCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H/E:X/RL:X/RC:X

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-119Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer
T1499.003Application Exhaustion Flood

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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