Introduction to asav9-20-2-2.vhdx Software
The asav9-20-2-2.vhdx is a virtual hard disk image containing Cisco’s Adaptive Security Virtual Appliance (ASAv) version 9.20(2)2, specifically optimized for Microsoft Hyper-V environments. This maintenance release enhances threat prevention capabilities while introducing hardware-accelerated cryptography for Intel Ice Lake and AMD EPYC 9004-series hosts. The package includes preconfigured templates for automated deployment through Windows Admin Center 3.1+ and Azure Arc integration.
Developed under Cisco’s Smart Licensing 4.0 framework, this build resolves 6 CVEs identified in previous releases while maintaining backward compatibility with ASAv 9.20(1) configurations. The software implements mandatory TLS 1.3 encryption for management plane communications and supports NIST-recommended post-quantum cryptography algorithms.
Compatibility:
- Hypervisors: Hyper-V 2022 (Build 20348.2342+), Azure Stack HCI 22H2
- ASAv Models: ASAv50/100/300 (Scalable vCPU/RAM profiles)
- Minimum Resources: 4 vCPU, 8GB RAM, 80GB storage
Key Features and Improvements
1. Security Enhancements
- Addresses CVE-2025-20358 (CVSS 8.2): Memory exhaustion vulnerability in WebVPN portal
- Implements quantum-resistant XMSS signatures for IPsec VPN tunnels
- Adds certificate transparency logging for TLS 1.3 management sessions
2. Performance Optimizations
- 40% faster TLS handshake processing through AES-GCM hardware acceleration
- NUMA-aware vCPU allocation reduces packet processing latency by 28%
- Dynamic memory ballooning support (4GB-64GB adjustable range)
3. Platform Integration
- Native Azure Arc support for centralized policy management
- Enhanced Hyper-V Replica compatibility for disaster recovery configurations
- Automated health monitoring via Windows Performance Counters API
Compatibility and Requirements
| Category | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Host Platform | Windows Server 2022 Datacenter Edition (Build 20348.2342+) |
| Virtual Switch | Hyper-V Virtual Switch 10.0+ with SR-IOV capabilities |
| Storage Configuration | Requires VHDX format on ReFS/NTFS volumes with 4KB allocation unit size |
| Unsupported Features | VMware vSphere integration, QEMU/KVM virtualization, ARM64 architectures |
Administrators must disable Hyper-V Shielded VM features before deployment. This version removes support for Generation 1 VMs, requiring all new deployments to use Generation 2 virtual machines.
Obtaining the Virtual Appliance
To download asav9-20-2-2.vhdx:
- Visit Cisco ASAv Hyper-V Download Portal
- Select “ASAv 9.20(2)2 for Hyper-V” from the virtualization catalog
- Choose between Standard (412MB) or FIPS 140-3 Compliant (438MB) image variants
- Accept Cisco’s End User License Agreement (EULA)
- Initiate download via HTTPS/SFTP protocols
Enterprise customers with Smart Licensing must register virtual appliance UUIDs through Cisco Smart Software Manager within 14 days of deployment. For air-gapped environments, offline license activation tokens can be requested through Cisco’s Secure Device Portal.
This Hyper-V optimized build enables organizations to implement zero-trust security models across hybrid cloud infrastructures. By leveraging Windows-native virtualization technologies, network teams achieve seamless integration with Microsoft Defender for Cloud while maintaining military-grade threat prevention capabilities.
