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CVE-2022-20866

Affected software2 products, listed below
Severity7.5 High CVSS 3.1 2 scores
WeaknessCWE-203
Published10 Aug 2022
Updated11 Aug 2026

Description

A vulnerability in the handling of RSA keys on devices running Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to retrieve an RSA private key. This vulnerability is due to a logic error when the RSA key is stored in memory on a hardware platform that performs hardware-based cryptography. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by using a Lenstra side-channel attack against the targeted device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to retrieve the RSA private key. The following conditions may be observed on an affected device: This vulnerability will apply to approximately 5 percent of the RSA keys on a device that is running a vulnerable release of Cisco ASA Software or Cisco FTD Software; not all RSA keys are expected to be affected due to mathematical calculations applied to the RSA key. The RSA key could be valid but have specific characteristics that make it vulnerable to the potential leak of the RSA private key. If an attacker obtains the RSA private key, they could use the key to impersonate a device that is running Cisco ASA Software or Cisco FTD Software or to decrypt the device traffic. See the Indicators of Compromise section for more information on the detection of this type of RSA key. The RSA key could be malformed and invalid. A malformed RSA key is not functional, and a TLS client connection to a device that is running Cisco ASA Software or Cisco FTD Software that uses the malformed RSA key will result in a TLS signature failure, which means a vulnerable software release created an invalid RSA signature that failed verification. If an attacker obtains the RSA private key, they could use the key to impersonate a device that is running Cisco ASA Software or Cisco FTD Software or to decrypt the device traffic.

Exploitation status

Proof of concept only

A proof of concept exists, but no reviewed exploit catalogue lists this CVE.

  • CISA KEV not listed
  • VulnCheck KEV not listed
  • CISA Vulnrichment no assessment published
  • Indexed PoC 1 indexed Published artifacts you can open, in GitHub PoC; first seen 2022-07-13.
  • EPSS 18% chance in 30 days A model's forecast, not a report of exploitation. Higher than 97% of all scored CVEs.
IndexArtifactStarsFirst seen
GitHub PoC RSA Key Checker for CVE-2022-20866 7 2022-07-13

Waratek protection

Outside Waratek scope

A Java vulnerability, but not one Waratek protects. It affects only Java on a user's desktop (applets, Web Start, JavaFX, the installer), sits in a product the Waratek agent can't be installed into, or is in a package we don't expect in business applications. The decision below says which.

  • Protection none
  • Action not pursued none
  • Review automated Upstream data
  • Record active
Decided by The only affected product being a sealed appliance image, where Java runs but no -javaagent can be attached
Finding This CVE names only products the Waratek agent cannot be installed into (cisco/secure_firewall_threat_defense). They ship as sealed appliance images or as native code with no application JVM, so there is no start-up line to add -javaagent to. The vulnerability may well be a Java one; it is permanently out of ARMR's reach rather than outside its subject.

CVSS

7.5 HIGH v3.1 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N 2 metrics

We show the highest score from the newest CVSS version. Scores from different versions can't be compared, and the first score listed is sometimes a 0.0 placeholder.

VersionScoreBandVectorAssignerType
CVSS 3.1 7.5 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N NVD Primary published
CVSS 3.1 7.4 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N psirt@cisco.com Secondary

Affected software and releases

Products and versions

2 products, 5 version entries
SourceVendorProductSchemeAffected versions
nvd cisco adaptive security appliance software generic ≥ 9.16.0 and < 9.16.3.19 · ≥ 9.17.0 and < 9.17.1.13 · ≥ 9.18.0 and < 9.18.2
nvd cisco secure firewall threat defense generic ≥ 7.0.0 and < 7.0.4 · ≥ 7.1.0 and < 7.2.0.1

References

URLTags
https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-asaftd-rsa-key-leak-Ms7UEfZz Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published2022-08-10By the CVE Program.
NVD record modified2026-08-11NVD's own last-modified date for this record.