Security ManagerApplication · Cisco
CVE-2022-20640
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 · uneditedMultiple 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 confidenceMultiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Cisco Security Manager's web-based management interface allow unauthenticated remote attackers to inject malicious scripts via crafted links. The root cause is insufficient validation of user-supplied input in the web interface, enabling script execution in the context of the affected interface or access to sensitive browser-based information.
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
< 4.24CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm Cisco Security Manager is installedCheck Windows Programs and Features or list installed applications for 'Cisco Security Manager' or 'CSM'Affected if Cisco Security Manager is present on the system
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Identify installed version of Cisco Security ManagerOpen the Cisco Security Manager client or check the program files directory for version information, or use 'Add or Remove Programs' to view the installed versionAffected if The displayed version number is less than 4.24 (for example, 4.22, 4.23, or any version starting with 4.2x)
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Verify web-based management interface is enabledCheck Cisco Security Manager services (typically 'Cisco Security Manager Service') and configuration to determine if the web interface (ASM/SSM web portal) is turned onAffected if The web-based management interface is enabled and accessible to users
You are affected if Cisco Security Manager is installed with a version lower than 4.24 and the web-based management interface is enabled and 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 · scoped4.24
Apply the vendor patch or upgrade to a fixed version of Cisco Security Manager as specified in Cisco's security advisory; validate and sanitize all user-supplied input in the web interface if custom development is involved.
Cisco Security Manager 4.24 or later
- Verify current Cisco Security Manager version by accessing the web-based management interface or checking the application
- Download Cisco Security Manager version 4.24 or later from the Cisco Software Download Center (software.cisco.com)
- Review the release notes for version 4.24 to understand new features, changes, and any prerequisites
- Create a full backup of the current Security Manager configuration and database
- Schedule a maintenance window for the upgrade process
- Follow Cisco's standard upgrade procedure for Security Manager, which typically involves using the installer or upgrade utility
- After upgrade, verify the new version is installed correctly
- Test that the web-based management interface functions properly
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Security Manager
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,696.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-20640 — 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-2022-20640 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