# CVE-2024-20439: Cisco Smart Licensing Utility Static Credential Vulnerability

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2024-20439-cisco-smart-licensing-utility-static-credential-vulnerability  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2025-03-31. Updated: 2026-05-09  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2024-20439 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.8 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2025-03-31

Cisco Smart Licensing Utility (CSLU) contains an undocumented static administrative credential. An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this by using the hardcoded credentials to log in to the system, gaining full administrative rights over the application API.

Vendors: [Cisco](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/cisco).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2024-20439 exploited in the wild?** Yes. CVE-2024-20439 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 31 March 2025. Treat it as urgent.

**How severe is CVE-2024-20439?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.8, published 31 March 2025.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Cisco Smart Licensing Utility (CSLU) 2.0.0 up to (excluding) 2.3.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2024-20439?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2024-20439 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2024-20439?** Check whether you run Cisco Smart Licensing Utility. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Affected products

- Cisco Smart Licensing Utility (CSLU) 2.0.0 up to (excluding) 2.3.0

## Timeline

- 2024-09-04: disclosed: Initial NVD publication and Cisco advisory release
- 2025-03-31: kev added: Added to CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog
- 2025-03-31: exploited: Confirmed as exploited in the wild per CISA KEV entry