CVE-2022-20748: A vulnerability in the local malware analysis process of Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker...

Description

A vulnerability in the local malware analysis process of Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on the affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient error handling in the local malware analysis process of an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted file through the device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the local malware analysis process to crash, which could result in a DoS condition. Notes: Manual intervention may be required to recover from this situation. Malware cloud lookup and dynamic analysis will not be impacted.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.3/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

EPSS Probability

1.18%

63.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Cisco	Firepower Threat Defense	7.0.0

References

Timeline

Published: May 3, 2022
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-20748?

A vulnerability in the local malware analysis process of Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on the affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient error handling in the local malware analysis process of an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted file through the device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the local malware analysis process to crash, which could result in a DoS condition. Notes: Manual intervention may be required to recover from this situation. Malware cloud lookup and dynamic analysis will not be impacted.

How severe is CVE-2022-20748?

CVE-2022-20748 has a CVSS score of 5.3/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.18% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2022-20748?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.