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Security ManagerApplication · Cisco

CVE-2022-20635

MEDIUM · 6.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-01-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.24 or later.
See remediation →
68/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges

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 · unedited
Multiple vulnerabilities in the web-based management interface of Cisco Security Manager could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct cross-site scripting attacks against a user of the interface. These vulnerabilities are due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input by the web-based management interface. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by persuading a user to click a crafted link. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary script code in the context of the interface or access sensitive, browser-based information.

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 confidence

Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Cisco Security Manager's web-based management interface allow unauthenticated remote attackers to inject malicious script code via crafted links. The vulnerabilities stem from insufficient validation of user-supplied input in the web interface. Successful exploitation enables arbitrary script execution in the context of the interface or access to sensitive browser-based information.

MitigationApply the vendor patch released by Cisco for Security Manager. Until patched, consider deploying a web application firewall (WAF) or implementing input validation controls as a temporary mitigation.

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
Affected:< 4.24

CVSS 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
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm Cisco Security Manager is installed
    Identify whether Cisco Security Manager is deployed in your environment by checking for the application processes or installed components.
    Affected if The software is present and the web interface is in use.
  2. Determine the installed version
    Access the web-based management interface and navigate to the version information page, or use the application's built-in about or help function to retrieve the current version number.
    Affected if The installed version is lower than 4.24.
  3. Verify the web interface is enabled
    Confirm that the web-based management interface is currently active and accessible, typically on ports 443 or 8443.
    Affected if The web interface is enabled and running.
  4. Check network accessibility
    Determine whether the management interface is reachable from outside trusted network segments or the internet.
    Affected if The interface is exposed to untrusted networks or the internet without proper access controls.

You are affected if Cisco Security Manager is installed with the web interface enabled and the version is below 4.24, especially if the interface is accessible to untrusted users.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 4.24 or later
Fixed in 4.24
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor patch released by Cisco for Security Manager. Until patched, consider deploying a web application firewall (WAF) or implementing input validation controls as a temporary mitigation.

Recommended fix High confidence

4.24 or later

  1. 1. Identify current Cisco Security Manager version by accessing the web interface or checking the installed software.
  2. 2. Confirm the installed version is below 4.24, which is affected by this CVE.
  3. 3. Review Cisco Security Manager upgrade documentation and release notes for version 4.24 or later.
  4. 4. Plan the upgrade considering maintenance windows and backup requirements.
  5. 5. Perform a complete backup of the current Security Manager configuration.
  6. 6. Upgrade Cisco Security Manager to version 4.24 or the latest stable release.
  7. 7. After upgrade, verify the web-based management interface is accessible and validate the version number.
  8. 8. Test that the XSS vulnerability is no longer present by attempting benign input validation in the interface.
Caveat Review Cisco release notes for any configuration or migration changes between your current version and 4.24; some settings may need adjustment after upgrade

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
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
24.0 hours of engineering $4,160
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,656.

Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-20635 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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