Is CVE-2024-20481 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2024-20481 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on October 24, 2024.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2024-20481?

CVE-2024-20481 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.8 (MEDIUM).

CVE-2024-20481

MEDIUM · CVSS 5.8CISA KEV: actively exploitedEPSS 15.9%EU EUVD: exploited

A vulnerability in the Remote Access VPN (RAVPN) service of Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) of the RAVPN service. This vulnerability is due to resource exhaustion. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a large number of VPN authentication requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to exhaust resources, resulting in a DoS of the RAVPN service on the affected device. Depending on the impact of the attack, a reload of the device may be required to restore the RAVPN service. Services that are not related to VPN are not affected. Cisco Talos discussed these attacks in the blog post Large-scale brute-force activity targeting VPNs, SSH services with commonly used login credentials.

Key facts

CVSS score: 5.8 (v3.1)
Severity: MEDIUM
CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:L
Weakness (CWE): CWE-772
EPSS score: 15.9% (97th percentile)
In CISA KEV: Yes, added October 24, 2024
In EU EUVD: Yes (EUVD-2024-18196)
Published: October 23, 2024
NVD last modified: August 11, 2026
Status: Analyzed

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerability

Cisco ASA and FTD Denial-of-Service Vulnerability

Added to the KEV catalog on October 24, 2024; federal remediation due November 14, 2024.

EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD)

This vulnerability is also tracked by ENISA as EUVD-2024-18196 in the EU Vulnerability Database. ENISA flags it as known exploited. Last updated in EUVD on October 21, 2025.

View on the EU Vulnerability Database

Affected products

cisco / adaptive security appliance software
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cisco / adaptive security appliance software
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and 239 more…

Certified products that may be affected

2 FIPS 140 or Common Criteria certified products, from automated matching by sec-certs.org.

Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) 7.4 with Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) 7.4 and Secure Client 5.1 - Cisco Systems, Inc. - Common Criteria NSCIB-CC-2400046-01-CR - active
Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual 7.4 with FMC/FMCv - Cisco Systems, Inc. - Common Criteria CCEVS-VR-VID-11510-2025 - active

References

https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-asaftd-bf-dos-vDZhLqrW(Vendor Advisory)
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2024-20481(US Government Resource)

Last updated September 17, 2026 · Source: NVD, CISA KEV, FIRST.org EPSS

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