Security ManagerApplication · Cisco
CVE-2019-12630
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 Java deserialization function used by Cisco Security Manager could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insecure deserialization of user-supplied content by the affected software. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a malicious serialized Java object to a specific listener on an affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the device with the privileges of casuser.
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 confidenceCVE-2019-12630 is a Java deserialization vulnerability in Cisco Security Manager that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands by sending malicious serialized Java objects to a specific listener on the affected system. The vulnerability stems from insecure deserialization of user-supplied content, enabling attackers to gain code execution with casuser privileges.
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
Security ManagerApplication
< 4.18CVSS 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
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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.
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Identify if Cisco Security Manager is installedSearch for Cisco Security Manager installation directories or check for the 'Cisco Security Manager' service in the system's service list. Common installation paths include C:\Program Files\Cisco Systems\Security Manager or /opt/cisco/smAffected if The software is present on the system
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Determine the installed version of Cisco Security ManagerLocate the version information in the installation directory, typically in a version.txt, about.html file, or check the application's properties. Alternatively, use the command 'dminventory' or check the registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Cisco Systems\Security Manager if on WindowsAffected if The installed version is any version prior to 4.18 (e.g., 4.17, 4.16, etc.)
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Identify if the vulnerable listener service is runningCheck for processes related to Cisco Security Manager, particularly the Tomcat or Java processes that handle the deserialization endpoint. Use netstat or similar tools to identify listening ports associated with the applicationAffected if The Security Manager service is running and exposing a network listener
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Verify network exposure of the affected listenerReview firewall rules and network configuration to determine if the Security Manager listener port (commonly associated with the deserialization endpoint) is accessible from untrusted networks. Check which ports the service is bound toAffected if The listener port is accessible from external/untrusted networks rather than localhost only
A system is affected if Cisco Security Manager version 4.18 or later is not installed AND the vulnerable Java deserialization listener service is running and network-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.
dbcve · scoped4.18
Apply the vendor patch from Cisco immediately and restrict network access to the affected listener port to limit exposure from untrusted networks.
Cisco Security Manager 4.18 or later
- Download Cisco Security Manager version 4.18 or later from the Cisco software download portal
- Ensure you have a valid Cisco service contract for entitlement to the software
- Review the Cisco Security Manager release notes for version 4.18 to understand new features and any migration requirements
- Back up the current Security Manager configuration and database before upgrading
- Stop all Cisco Security Manager services before initiating the upgrade
- Run the installer for version 4.18 or later on the Security Manager server
- Follow the on-screen installation prompts, selecting the upgrade option
- After installation completes, restart all Cisco Security Manager services
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Security Manager
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,888.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-12630 — 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-2019-12630 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
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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