CVE-2025-20180 in Secure Email
Summary
by MITRE • 02/05/2025
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Secure Email and Web Manager and Secure Email Gateway could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to conduct a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against a user of the interface.
This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by persuading a user of an affected interface to click a crafted link. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary script code in the context of the affected interface or access sensitive, browser-based information. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid credentials for a user account with at least the role of Operator.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/31/2025
This vulnerability exists within the web-based management interface of Cisco AsyncOS Software, specifically affecting Cisco Secure Email and Web Manager and Secure Email Gateway products. The flaw represents a classic stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that enables remote attackers to execute malicious code within the browser context of authenticated users. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing or rendering within the web interface. This type of weakness allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that persist in the application's database or storage mechanisms, making the attack vector particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users over time.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an authenticated attacker with at least Operator-level privileges, which aligns with common privilege escalation patterns found in web application security. The attacker must craft a malicious link containing malicious script code and persuade a victim user with valid credentials to click the crafted link. This social engineering component is critical to the attack chain and demonstrates how human factors can amplify technical vulnerabilities. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that the malicious payload is permanently stored within the application's data stores and executed whenever the affected page is loaded or accessed by any user. This persistence characteristic makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where multiple administrators may access the same management interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can potentially allow attackers to access sensitive browser-based information and execute arbitrary code within the context of the affected interface. This capability could enable attackers to escalate privileges, access confidential data, or perform actions as the authenticated user. The vulnerability affects the management interface specifically, which means that successful exploitation could compromise the entire email security infrastructure managed through these systems. Attackers could potentially gain access to email configurations, user accounts, and sensitive operational data that would normally be restricted to authorized administrators.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically targeting web-based applications through scripting vulnerabilities. The requirement for Operator-level credentials suggests that proper role-based access controls should be implemented to limit the scope of potential exploitation. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent malicious data from being executed within the application context. Additionally, regular security assessments and user awareness training should be conducted to mitigate the social engineering aspects of this vulnerability. The remediation approach should include implementing proper data sanitization, input validation, and output encoding controls to prevent script injection attacks while maintaining the functional integrity of the management interface.