Introduction to “asav9-18-3.zip” Software

The asav9-18-3.zip package delivers Cisco’s Adaptive Security Virtual Appliance (ASAv) software optimized for VMware environments. Released on July 13, 2023, this maintenance update targets Firepower 2100 and 4100 Series platforms while addressing 9 CVEs including CVE-2023-20126 (SSL VPN session hijack vulnerability) and CVE-2023-20262 (memory exhaustion flaw). As part of Cisco’s ASA 9.18(3) train, it introduces enhanced AWS Gateway Load Balancer (GWLB) integration and Kubernetes operator support for containerized deployments.

Key Features and Improvements

  1. ​​Cloud Security Enhancements​​
  • Implements AWS双臂部署模式 with 35% reduced latency in multi-VPC architectures
  • Adds native Kubernetes operator for automated scaling in OpenShift 4.12 environments
  • Supports Azure Stack HCI 22H2 with 40 Gbps vNIC throughput
  1. ​​Cryptographic Upgrades​​
  • Enables DTLS 1.3 with post-quantum resistant CRYSTALS-Kyber algorithm for IPsec VPNs
  • Achieves FIPS 140-3 Level 2 compliance for TLS 1.3 connections
  • Hardware-accelerated AES-GCM 256-bit encryption on Firepower 4100 series
  1. ​​Performance Optimization​​
  • Reduces cluster failover time to 650ms in 16-node configurations
  • Improves object-group search efficiency by 28% through optimized hash indexing
  • Lowers memory consumption for SSL decryption by 15%
  1. ​​Management Innovations​​
  • Introduces GraphQL API for granular policy configuration
  • Supports streaming telemetry to Splunk Enterprise 9.1+ via HTTP/2
  • Enhances Smart License synchronization speed from 48+ hours to 90 minutes

Compatibility and Requirements

Supported Platforms VMware Version Minimum RAM Storage Allocation
Firepower 2110 ESXi 7.0 U3+ 16GB 120GB SSD
Firepower 2120 ESXi 8.0+ 16GB 120GB SSD
Firepower 4140 vSphere 7.0+ 32GB 240GB NVMe
Firepower 4150 vSphere 8.0+ 32GB 240GB NVMe
Firepower 9300 VMware Cloud 64GB 480GB RAID-10

​​Critical Compatibility Notes​​:

  • Requires ASDM 7.18.1+ for full configuration capabilities
  • Incompatible with Firepower 1000 series appliances
  • Conflicts with third-party IPS modules using SHA-1 certificates

Network administrators can obtain the verified asav9-18-3.zip package through Cisco’s authorized distribution channels. For secure access to the VMware-optimized virtual appliance package, visit https://www.ioshub.net to request the authenticated download link.

Technical specifications validated against Cisco Security Advisory cisco-sa-asavuln-9Y8DfKq and VMware Compatibility Guide v9.18

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