Anyconnect Secure Mobility ClientApplication · Cisco
CVE-2019-1853
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedA vulnerability in the HostScan component of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Linux could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to read sensitive information on an affected system. The vulnerability exists because the affected software performs improper bounds checks. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by crafting HTTP traffic for the affected component to download and process. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read sensitive information on the affected system.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceA bounds check vulnerability in the HostScan component of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client for Linux allows unauthenticated remote attackers to read sensitive system information via specially crafted HTTP traffic. The vulnerability exists because the affected software does not properly validate bounds when processing incoming HTTP requests.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
Anyconnect Secure Mobility ClientApplication
= 4.6\(2074\)CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Verify Cisco AnyConnect is installed on LinuxCheck for the presence of AnyConnect binaries or packages. Common locations include /opt/cisco/anyconnect or check via package manager (dpkg -l | grep anyconnect or rpm -qa | grep anyconnect)Affected if AnyConnect is installed on the Linux system
-
Identify the installed AnyConnect versionRun the AnyConnect binary with version flag, or check version file in the installation directory. Typical command: /opt/cisco/anyconnect/bin/vpn -v or check version.xml in the installation directoryAffected if The installed version matches exactly 4.6(2074)
-
Confirm HostScan component is enabledInspect AnyConnect configuration or check for HostScan process. Look for hostscan binary in /opt/cisco/hostscan or check profile XML files for HostScan enablementAffected if HostScan module is present and enabled in the AnyConnect configuration
-
Verify the system accepts HTTP connections to HostScanCheck if HostScan is listening on network ports (typically 8080/tcp or 80/tcp). Use netstat or ss to check listening ports, or review firewall rulesAffected if HostScan is accessible via HTTP and listening for connections
The system is affected if Cisco AnyConnect version 4.6(2074) is installed on Linux with HostScan component enabled and accessible.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataApply the vendor-supplied patch or update Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client to a fixed version. Restrict network access to the HostScan component and monitor for suspicious HTTP traffic patterns.
Fix this in Anyconnect Secure Mobility Client
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-1853 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-1853 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data