Thousands of Cisco ASA Firewalls Still Unsecured Despite Federal Warnings
Despite repeated warnings from Cisco and multiple cybersecurity agencies, an estimated 48,000 Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) and Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) devices remain exposed to active exploitation. Most are located in the U.S., followed by the U.K., Japan, Russia, Germany, and Canada, according to data from the Shadowserver Foundation, which continues to scan for vulnerable devices daily.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a warning and Emergency Directive 25-03 on September 26, 2025, citing evidence that an advanced threat actor is exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities in Cisco ASA appliances. The directive urges federal agencies—and strongly advises private organizations—to identify affected devices, collect forensic data, and update to secure releases immediately.
Background: Attacks Began Months Before Public Disclosure
In May 2025, Cisco was enlisted by government cybersecurity agencies to investigate targeted attacks against networks using Cisco ASA 5500-X Series devices.
Cisco confirmed that attackers had exploited multiple zero-day vulnerabilities, using advanced evasion tactics such as disabling logging, intercepting CLI commands, and intentionally crashing devices to obstruct forensic analysis. The methods and malware observed matched those seen in the ArcaneDoor campaign, believed to involve a state-sponsored threat actor.
https://enfortra.com/thousands-of-cisco-asa-firewalls-still-unsecured-despite-federal-warnings/
Comments
Post a Comment