CVE-2025-20135

MEDIUMCVSS 4.3/10EPSS 0.18%

Last modified

CVE-2025-20135 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 4.3/10 on the CVSS scale. A vulnerability in the DHCP client functionality of Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to exhaust available memory. This vulnerability is due to improper validation of incoming DHCP packets. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by repeatedly sending crafted DHCPv4 packets to an affected device. EPSS estimates a 0.18% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A vulnerability in the DHCP client functionality of Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to exhaust available memory. This vulnerability is due to improper validation of incoming DHCP packets. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by repeatedly sending crafted DHCPv4 packets to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to exhaust available memory, which would affect availability of services and prevent new processes from starting, resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS) condition that would require a manual reboot. Note: On Cisco Secure FTD Software, this vulnerability does not affect management interfaces.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
4.3/10

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

EPSS Probability
0.18%

8.3th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Deferred

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-20135?
A vulnerability in the DHCP client functionality of Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to exhaust available memory. This vulnerability is due to improper validation of incoming DHCP packets. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by repeatedly sending crafted DHCPv4 packets to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to exhaust available memory, which would affect availability of services and prevent new processes from starting, resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS) condition that would require a manual reboot. Note: On Cisco Secure FTD Software, this vulnerability does not affect management interfaces.
How severe is CVE-2025-20135?
CVE-2025-20135 has a CVSS score of 4.3/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.18% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2025-20135?
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.

Are you affected by CVE-2025-20135?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

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Source: NVD / NIST