Unauthenticated SSH access via incomplete private-key validation
Published Mar 4, 2026 · Updated Mar 4, 2026
Authentication bypass in Cisco Secure Firewall ASA Software allows remote attackers to access SSH as a configured user without the private key. The proprietary Cisco SSH stack insufficiently validates crafted authentication input, allowing the exchange to complete without proof from the user's private key. Exposure requires the Cisco SSH stack, public-key authentication, an interface permitting SSH, and a valid username plus its public key; access is limited to that user's commands and does not grant root.
Summary
What happened
Authentication bypass in Cisco Secure Firewall ASA Software allows remote attackers to access SSH as a configured user without the private key. The proprietary Cisco SSH stack insufficiently validates crafted authentication input, allowing the exchange to complete without proof from the user's private key. Exposure requires the Cisco SSH stack, public-key authentication, an interface permitting SSH, and a valid username plus its public key; access is limited to that user's commands and does not grant root.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-20009
- Published
- Mar 4, 2026
- Updated
- Mar 4, 2026
- Vendor
- ClamAV
- Product
- Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software
- Classifications
- CWE-138, T1190
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 4, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Mar 4, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=9.17.1
- Affected versionversion=9.17.1.10
- Affected versionversion=9.17.1.11
- Affected versionversion=9.17.1.13
- Affected versionversion=9.17.1.15
- Affected versionversion=9.17.1.20
- Affected versionversion=9.17.1.30
- Affected versionversion=9.17.1.33
- Affected versionversion=9.17.1.39
- Affected versionversion=9.17.1.45
- Affected versionversion=9.17.1.46
- Affected versionversion=9.17.1.7
- Affected versionversion=9.17.1.9
- Affected versionversion=9.18.1
- Affected versionversion=9.18.1.3
- Affected versionversion=9.18.2
- Affected versionversion=9.18.2.5
- Affected versionversion=9.18.2.7
- Affected versionversion=9.18.2.8
- Affected versionversion=9.18.3
- Affected versionversion=9.18.3.39
- Affected versionversion=9.18.3.46
- Affected versionversion=9.18.3.53
- Affected versionversion=9.18.3.55
- Affected versionversion=9.18.3.56
- Affected versionversion=9.18.4
- Affected versionversion=9.18.4.22
- Affected versionversion=9.18.4.24
- Affected versionversion=9.18.4.29
- Affected versionversion=9.18.4.34
- Affected versionversion=9.18.4.40
- Affected versionversion=9.18.4.47
- Affected versionversion=9.18.4.5
- Affected versionversion=9.18.4.50
- Affected versionversion=9.18.4.52
- Affected versionversion=9.18.4.53
- Affected versionversion=9.18.4.57
- Affected versionversion=9.18.4.66
- Affected versionversion=9.18.4.67
- Affected versionversion=9.18.4.68
- Affected versionversion=9.18.4.8
- Affected versionversion=9.19.1
- Affected versionversion=9.19.1.12
- Affected versionversion=9.19.1.18
- Affected versionversion=9.19.1.22
- Affected versionversion=9.19.1.24
- Affected versionversion=9.19.1.27
- Affected versionversion=9.19.1.28
- Affected versionversion=9.19.1.31
- Affected versionversion=9.19.1.37
- Affected versionversion=9.19.1.38
- Affected versionversion=9.19.1.42
- Affected versionversion=9.19.1.5
- Affected versionversion=9.19.1.9
- Affected versionversion=9.20.1
- Affected versionversion=9.20.1.5
- Affected versionversion=9.20.2
- Affected versionversion=9.20.2.10
- Affected versionversion=9.20.2.21
- Affected versionversion=9.20.2.22
- Affected versionversion=9.20.3
- Affected versionversion=9.20.3.10
- Affected versionversion=9.20.3.13
- Affected versionversion=9.20.3.16
- Affected versionversion=9.20.3.20
- Affected versionversion=9.20.3.4
- Affected versionversion=9.20.3.7
- Affected versionversion=9.20.3.9
- Affected versionversion=9.20.4
- Affected versionversion=9.20.4.7
- Affected versionversion=9.22.1.1
- Affected versionversion=9.22.1.2
- Affected versionversion=9.22.1.3
- Affected versionversion=9.22.1.6
- Affected versionversion=9.22.2
- Affected versionversion=9.22.2.13
- Affected versionversion=9.22.2.4
- Affected versionversion=9.22.2.9
- Affected versionversion=9.23.1
- Affected versionversion=9.23.1.13
- Affected versionversion=9.23.1.3
- Affected versionversion=9.23.1.7
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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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