How severe is CVE-2009-4455?

CVE-2009-4455 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 6.5, rated medium severity.

Is CVE-2009-4455 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (67th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2009-4455?

CVE-2009-4455 primarily affects Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance 5500. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2009-4455?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2009-4455 published?

CVE-2009-4455 was published on 2009-12-29 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2009-4455

CVE-2009-4455 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance 5500 with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 6.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-264.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 2.0 base score 6.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (67th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-264
Affected product: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance 5500
Published: 2009-12-29
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

The default configuration of Cisco ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliance (Cisco ASA) 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 8.0, 8.1, and 8.2 allows portal traffic to access arbitrary backend servers, which might allow remote authenticated users to bypass intended access restrictions and access unauthorized web sites via a crafted URL obfuscated with ROT13 and a certain encoding. NOTE: this issue was originally reported as a vulnerability related to lack of restrictions to URLs listed in the Cisco WebVPN bookmark component, but the vendor states that "The bookmark feature is not a security feature."

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2009-4455?: The default configuration of Cisco ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliance (Cisco ASA) 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 8.0, 8.1, and 8.2 allows portal traffic to access arbitrary backend servers, which might allow remote authenticated users to bypass intended access restrictions and access unauthorized web sites via a crafted URL obfuscated with ROT13 and a certain encoding. NOTE: this issue was originally reported as a vulnerability related to lack of restrictions to URLs listed in the Cisco WebVPN bookmark component, but the vendor states that "The bookmark feature is not a security feature."
How severe is CVE-2009-4455?: CVE-2009-4455 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 6.5, rated medium severity.
Is CVE-2009-4455 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (67th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2009-4455?: CVE-2009-4455 primarily affects Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance 5500. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2009-4455?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2009-4455 published?: CVE-2009-4455 was published on 2009-12-29 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (6)

cpe:2.3:h:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_5500:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:h:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_5500:7.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:h:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_5500:7.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:h:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_5500:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:h:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_5500:8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:h:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_5500:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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