Cisco Smart Licensing Utility Static Credential Vulnerability
Cisco · Smart Licensing Utility
Cisco Smart Licensing Utility (CSLU) contains a flaw in which an undocumented static administrative credential is built into the product. An unauthenticated attacker with network access to the affected system can use that hard-coded credential to log in and gain administrative rights over the CSLU application API, with no user interaction or prior authentication required.
A vulnerability in Cisco Smart Licensing Utility (CSLU) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to log into an affected system by using a static administrative credential. This vulnerability is due to an undocumented static user credential for an administrative account. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by using the static credentials to login to the affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to login to the affected system with administrative rights over the CSLU application API.
- Exploited
- Yes, in CISA KEV
- Reports
- 0
- Tactics
- 2/15
How an attack unfolds
Based on MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. mappings. Select a step to see the evidence.How attackers get in
What they do
Exploitation timelineDated milestones for a CVE: when it was disclosed, when exploit code became public, when exploitation was confirmed, and when threat reports named it.
First seen exploited 6 months after disclosure.
- Disclosedday 0
- First seen exploitedVulnCheck KEV evidence+6 mo
- Added to CISA KEVEU database agrees+7 mo
CISA KEV listing is when exploitation was confirmed, not necessarily the first attack.
MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. techniques
2 TechniqueOne specific attacker behaviour in MITRE ATT&CK, such as T1190 “Exploit Public-Facing Application”. IDs with a dot, like T1059.004, are sub-techniques., grouped by TacticThe attacker’s goal at a stage of an attack in MITRE ATT&CK, such as Initial Access or Persistence. Each technique belongs to one or more tactics. in kill-chain order 2ExecutionTA0002
Due to static credentials found in Cisco Smart Licensing Utility, a remote, unauthenticated attacker can gain administrative access through the API.
Credential AccessTA0006
Detection
0 rules for this CVE · 27 general rules for its techniquesRules for this CVE
0Sigma ruleAn open, vendor-neutral detection rule for log data. Security teams convert Sigma rules into searches for their own SIEM. that reference CVE-2024-20439 directly.CVE-specific rules are not available in this build. Search SigmaHQ ↗
General rules for this CVE’s techniques
These detect the technique in general, not this specific vulnerability.
Unsecured CredentialsT155213 general rules
- Application AppID Uri Configuration Changeshightest
- Potential Okta Password in AlternateID Fieldhightest
- Script Interpreter Spawning Credential Scanner - Linuxhighexperimental
- Script Interpreter Spawning Credential Scanner - Windowshighexperimental
- Added Owner To Applicationmediumtest
- Azure Key Vault Modified or Deletedmediumtest
- Azure Keyvault Key Modified or Deletedmediumtest
- Azure Keyvault Secrets Modified or Deletedmediumtest
Native APIT110614 general rules
- Turla Group Named Pipescriticaltest
- BPFDoor Abnormal Process ID or Lock File Accessedhightest
- HackTool - CobaltStrike BOF Injection Patternhightest
- HackTool - HandleKatz Duplicating LSASS Handlehightest
- HackTool - RedMimicry Winnti Playbook Executionhightest
- HackTool - WinPwn Executionhightest
- HackTool - WinPwn Execution - ScriptBlockhightest
- Potential WinAPI Calls Via CommandLinehightest
Sigma rules © SigmaHQ, Detection Rule License 1.1; linked, not reproduced.
What security researchers reported
Not named in any threat report yetAlso mentioned in 50 community threat pulses (AlienVault OTX)
Weaker evidencePulses are indicator collections that anyone can publish. A mention is not confirmation of exploitation.
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 30, 202629 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 202628 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 202627 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 202626 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 202623 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 202622 Oct 2026
- 44 more on OTX