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CVE-2024-20401

Cisco Secure Email Gateway remote code execution

9.8 CRITICALEPSS 2.26%
  1. Published17 Jul 2024

Description

A vulnerability in the content scanning and message filtering features of Cisco Secure Email Gateway could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to overwrite arbitrary files on the underlying operating system. This vulnerability is due to improper handling of email attachments when file analysis and content filters are enabled. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending an email that contains a crafted attachment through an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to replace any file on the underlying file system. The attacker could then perform any of the following actions: add users with root privileges, modify the device configuration, execute arbitrary code, or cause a permanent denial of service (DoS) condition on the affected device. Note: Manual intervention is required to recover from the DoS condition. Customers are advised to contact the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) to help recover a device in this condition.

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorNetwork
Attack complexityLow
Privileges requiredNone
User interactionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

Cisco Secure Email Gateway< 15.5.1-055

Remediation

Fixed in
Cisco Secure Email Gateway≥ 15.5.1-055

References

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Frequently asked

Is CVE-2024-20401 being actively exploited?

CVE-2024-20401 is not in the CISA KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit probability is 2.26%.

How severe is CVE-2024-20401?

CVE-2024-20401 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, rated critical. EPSS estimates a 2.26% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2024-20401?

Affected products include Cisco Secure Email Gateway.

How do I fix CVE-2024-20401?

Upgrade affected software to a fixed version, for example Cisco Secure Email Gateway 15.5.1-055 or later, then confirm no affected versions remain in your inventory.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2024-20401 against the real software inventory on every managed device, as each hourly inventory arrives. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

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Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.