Coverage › CVE-2024-20439
CVE-2024-20439 Mapped Sigma
Cisco Smart Licensing Utility Static Credential Vulnerability
- Vendor / product
- Cisco — Smart Licensing Utility
- Description (CISA)
- Cisco Smart Licensing Utility contains a static credential vulnerability that allows an unauthenticated, remote attacker to log in to an affected system and gain administrative credentials.
- Added to KEV
- 2025-03-31
- Due date
- 2025-04-21
- Required action
- Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
- Known ransomware use
- Unknown
- CWE
- CWE-912
- CISA notes
- https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-cslu-7gHMzWmw
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-20439 - Elsewhere
- cve.org · NVD · CISA KEV · JSON
ATT&CK techniques · CTID Mappings Explorer, ATT&CK 16.1, KEV snapshot 2025-07-28
2 mapping objects across 2 techniques. exploitation technique states how the vulnerability is exploited; primary and secondary impact state what exploitation achieves. They are different claims and are labelled as such.
| Technique | Mapping type | CTID comment | Status in v19.2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1552 Unsecured Credentials | exploitation technique | Due to static credentials found in Cisco Smart Licensing Utility, a remote, unauthenticated attacker can gain administrative access through the API. ref 1 |
live |
| T1106 Native API | primary impact | Due to static credentials found in Cisco Smart Licensing Utility, a remote, unauthenticated attacker can gain administrative access through the API. ref 1 |
live |
Detection chain · ATT&CK Enterprise v19.2 detection strategies, analytics, log sources
T1106 Native API primary impact
- DET0529 Behavioral Detection of Native API Invocation via Unusual DLL Loads and Direct Syscalls
AN1465 WindowsUnusual or suspicious processes loading critical native API DLLs (e.g., ntdll.dll, kernel32.dll) followed by direct syscall behavior, memory manipulation, or hollowing.Tunable:
DllNameImageTargetProcessAN1466 LinuxUserland processes invoking syscall-heavy libraries (libc, glibc) followed by fork, mmap, or ptrace behavior commonly associated with code injection or memory manipulation.Tunable:SyscallTypeProcessNameMAPS PathAN1467 macOSExecution of processes that link to CoreServices or Foundation APIs followed by creation of memory regions, code execution, or abnormal library injection.Tunable:API Framework NameExecution Context
Sigma rules tagged attack.t1106 (14)
Author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Nikita Nazarov, oscd.community
· 2020-10-06 (modified 2026-04-29) · logsource: product=windows category=ps_script · 03d83090-8cba-44a0-b02f-0b756a050306
Detects usage of WinAPI functions in PowerShell scripts.
It may indicate attempts to perform actions such as process injection, token stealing, or other malicious activities that leverage Windows API calls.
These techniques are commonly used to evade traditional file-based detections by loading and executing code directly in memory.
Author: Christian Burkard (Nextron Systems)
· 2021-08-04 (modified 2023-11-28) · logsource: product=windows category=process_access · 09706624-b7f6-455d-9d02-adee024cee1d
Detects a typical pattern of a CobaltStrike BOF which inject into other processes
Author: Nikita Nazarov, oscd.community, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
· 2023-07-21 · logsource: product=windows category=ps_script · 19d65a1c-8540-4140-8062-8eb00db0bba5
Detects calls to WinAPI libraries from PowerShell scripts. Attackers can often leverage these APIs to avoid detection based on typical PowerShell function calls. Use this rule as a basis to hunt for interesting scripts.
Author: Christian Burkard (Nextron Systems), Tim Shelton (FP)
· 2021-07-28 (modified 2023-12-13) · logsource: product=windows category=process_access · 3f3f3506-1895-401b-9cc3-e86b16e630d0
Detects potential calls to NtOpenProcess directly from NTDLL.
Author: Markus Neis
· 2017-11-06 (modified 2021-11-27) · logsource: product=windows category=pipe_created · 739915e4-1e70-4778-8b8a-17db02f66db1
Detects a named pipe used by Turla group samples
Author: Rafal Piasecki
· 2022-08-10 (modified 2026-03-30) · logsource: product=linux service=auditd · 808146b2-9332-4d78-9416-d7e47012d83d
detects BPFDoor .lock and .pid files access in temporary file storage facility
Author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel
· 2023-12-04 · logsource: product=windows category=ps_script · 851fd622-b675-4d26-b803-14bc7baa517a
Detects scriptblock text keywords indicative of potential usge of the tool WinPwn. A tool for Windows and Active Directory reconnaissance and exploitation.
Author: Alexander Rausch
· 2020-06-24 (modified 2023-03-01) · logsource: product=windows category=process_creation · 95022b85-ff2a-49fa-939a-d7b8f56eeb9b
Detects actions caused by the RedMimicry Winnti playbook a automated breach emulations utility
Author: Nikita Nazarov, oscd.community, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
· 2023-07-21 · logsource: product=windows category=ps_script · 9f22ccd5-a435-453b-af96-bf99cbb594d4
Detects calls to WinAPI functions from PowerShell scripts. Attackers can often leverage these APIs to avoid detection based on typical PowerShell function calls. Use this rule as a basis to hunt for interesting scripts.
Author: Bhabesh Raj (rule), @thefLinkk
· 2022-06-27 (modified 2023-11-28) · logsource: product=windows category=process_access · b1bd3a59-c1fd-4860-9f40-4dd161a7d1f5
Detects HandleKatz opening LSASS to duplicate its handle to later dump the memory without opening any new handles
Author: Beyu Denis, oscd.community, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
· 2019-10-26 (modified 2024-04-22) · logsource: product=windows category=process_creation · b5c7395f-e501-4a08-94d4-57fe7a9da9d2
Detects usage of "cdb.exe" to launch arbitrary processes or commands from a debugger script file
Author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
· 2022-09-06 (modified 2025-03-06) · logsource: product=windows category=process_creation · ba3f5c1b-6272-4119-9dbd-0bc8d21c2702
Detects the use of WinAPI Functions via the commandline. As seen used by threat actors via the tool winapiexec
Author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel
· 2023-12-04 · logsource: product=windows category=process_creation · d557dc06-62e8-4468-a8e8-7984124908ce
Detects commandline keywords indicative of potential usge of the tool WinPwn. A tool for Windows and Active Directory reconnaissance and exploitation.
Author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
· 2021-07-17 (modified 2023-02-21) · logsource: product=windows category=process_creation · e32f92d1-523e-49c3-9374-bdb13b46a3ba
Detects suspicious mshta process execution patterns
T1552 Unsecured Credentials exploitation technique
- DET0412 Detect Access or Search for Unsecured Credentials Across Platforms
AN1153 WindowsUnusual access to bash history, registry credentials paths, or private key files by unauthorized or scripting tools, with correlated file and process activity.Tunable:
TimeWindowSuspiciousProcessListAN1154 LinuxReading of sensitive files like .bash_history, /etc/shadow, or private key directories by unauthorized users or unusual processes.auditd:SYSCALLexecution of tools like cat, grep, or awk on credential files→ DC0064 Command ExecutionTunable:SensitivePathsUserContextAN1155 macOSUnusual access to ~/Library/Keychains, ~/.bash_history, or Terminal command history by unauthorized processes or users.macos:unifiedlogread access to ~/Library/Keychains or history files by terminal processes→ DC0055 File Accessmacos:unifiedlogexecution of 'security', 'cat', or 'grep' commands accessing credential storage→ DC0064 Command ExecutionTunable:ProcessNameTargetPathAN1156 SaaSUnusual web-based access or API scraping of password managers, single sign-on sessions, or credential sync services via browser automation or anomalous API tokens.saas:googleworkspaceAccessed third-party credential management service→ DC0002 User Account Authenticationsaas:zoomunusual web session tokens and automation patterns during login→ DC0038 Application Log ContentTunable:TokenAnomalyThresholdAccessGeoLocationAN1157 Identity ProviderUnauthorized API or console calls to retrieve or reset password credentials, download key material, or modify SSO settings.Tunable:SSOSettingScopeSecretTypeAN1158 ContainersAccess to container image layers or mounted secrets (e.g., Docker secrets) by processes not tied to entrypoint or orchestration context.auditd:SYSCALLread of /run/secrets or docker volumes by non-entrypoint process→ DC0055 File AccessTunable:EntrypointAllowlistVolumeMountPathAN1159 Network DevicesUse of configuration backup utilities or CLI access to dump plaintext passwords, local user hashes, or SNMP strings.linux:syslogCLI access to 'show running-config', 'show password', or 'cat config.txt'→ DC0064 Command ExecutionTunable:ManagementInterfaceIPsCommandPattern
Sigma rules tagged attack.t1552 (13)
Author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)
· 2025-11-25 · logsource: product=windows category=process_creation · 0f60b28c-64dd-4e2c-9a63-5334d3e3a6e6
Detects a script interpreter process (like node.js or bun) spawning a known credential scanning tool (e.g., trufflehog, gitleaks).
This behavior is indicative of an attempt to find and steal secrets, as seen in the "Shai-Hulud: The Second Coming" campaign.
Author: Mark Morowczynski '@markmorow', Bailey Bercik '@baileybercik'
· 2022-06-02 · logsource: product=azure service=auditlogs · 1b45b0d1-773f-4f23-aedc-814b759563b1
Detects when a configuration change is made to an applications AppID URI.
Author: Austin Songer @austinsonger
· 2021-08-16 (modified 2022-08-23) · logsource: product=azure service=activitylogs · 459a2970-bb84-4e6a-a32e-ff0fbd99448d
Identifies when a key vault is modified or deleted.
Author: Austin Songer @austinsonger
· 2021-11-25 (modified 2022-12-18) · logsource: product=gcp service=gcp.audit · 6ad91e31-53df-4826-bd27-0166171c8040
Identifies when an admission controller is executed in GCP Kubernetes.
A Kubernetes Admission controller intercepts, and possibly modifies, requests to the Kubernetes API server.
The behavior of this admission controller is determined by an admission webhook (MutatingAdmissionWebhook or ValidatingAdmissionWebhook) that the user deploys in the cluster.
An adversary can use such webhooks as the MutatingAdmissionWebhook for obtaining persistence in the cluster.
For example, attackers can intercept and modify the pod creation operations in the cluster and add their malicious container to every created pod. An adversary can use the webhook ValidatingAdmissionWebhook, which could be used to obtain access credentials.
An adversary could use the webhook to intercept the requests to the API server, record secrets, and other sensitive information.
Author: Mark Morowczynski '@markmorow', Bailey Bercik '@baileybercik'
· 2022-06-02 · logsource: product=azure service=auditlogs · 74298991-9fc4-460e-a92e-511aa60baec1
Detects when a new owner is added to an application. This gives that account privileges to make modifications and configuration changes to the application.
Author: Austin Songer @austinsonger
· 2021-08-16 (modified 2022-08-23) · logsource: product=azure service=activitylogs · 80eeab92-0979-4152-942d-96749e11df40
Identifies when a Keyvault Key is modified or deleted in Azure.
Author: kelnage
· 2023-04-03 (modified 2026-04-27) · logsource: product=okta service=okta · 91b76b84-8589-47aa-9605-c837583b82a9
Detects when a user has potentially entered their password into the
username field, which will cause the password to be retained in log files.
Author: Ali Alwashali, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
· 2023-11-20 (modified 2024-01-24) · logsource: product=windows category=process_creation · 9cd55b6c-430a-4fa9-96f4-7cadf5229e9f
Detect attempts to query the contents of the event log using command line utilities. Attackers use this technique in order to look for sensitive information in the logs such as passwords, usernames, IPs, etc.
Author: Austin Songer @austinsonger
· 2021-11-25 (modified 2022-12-18) · logsource: product=azure service=activitylogs · a61a3c56-4ce2-4351-a079-88ae4cbd2b58
Identifies when an admission controller is executed in Azure Kubernetes.
A Kubernetes Admission controller intercepts, and possibly modifies, requests to the Kubernetes API server.
The behavior of this admission controller is determined by an admission webhook (MutatingAdmissionWebhook or ValidatingAdmissionWebhook) that the user deploys in the cluster.
An adversary can use such webhooks as the MutatingAdmissionWebhook for obtaining persistence in the cluster.
For example, attackers can intercept and modify the pod creation operations in the cluster and add their malicious container to every created pod.
An adversary can use the webhook ValidatingAdmissionWebhook, which could be used to obtain access credentials.
An adversary could use the webhook to intercept the requests to the API server, record secrets, and other sensitive information.
Author: Austin Songer @austinsonger
· 2021-08-16 (modified 2022-08-23) · logsource: product=azure service=activitylogs · b831353c-1971-477b-abb6-2828edc3bca1
Identifies when secrets are modified or deleted in Azure.
Author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), X__Junior (Nextron Systems)
· 2022-09-09 (modified 2025-12-02) · logsource: product=windows category=process_creation · beaa66d6-aa1b-4e3c-80f5-e0145369bfaf
Detects execution of different log query utilities and commands to search and dump the content of specific event logs or look for specific event IDs.
This technique is used by threat actors in order to extract sensitive information from events logs such as usernames, IP addresses, hostnames, etc.
Author: kelnage
· 2024-07-11 · logsource: product=kubernetes service=audit · eed82177-38f5-4299-8a76-098d50d225ab
Detects when a modification (create, update or replace) action is taken that affects mutating or validating webhook configurations, as they can be used by an adversary to achieve persistence or exfiltrate access credentials.
Author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)
· 2025-11-25 · logsource: product=linux category=process_creation · f0025a69-e1b7-4dda-a53c-db21fa2d4071
Detects a script interpreter process (like node.js or bun) spawning a known credential scanning tool (e.g., trufflehog, gitleaks).
This behavior is indicative of an attempt to find and steal secrets, as seen in the "Shai-Hulud: The Second Coming" campaign.