Security ManagerApplication · Cisco
CVE-2022-20643
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 due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input. An unauthenticated, remote attacker can inject malicious scripts via crafted links, potentially executing arbitrary code in the context of the interface or accessing 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.
-
Identify if Cisco Security Manager is installedCheck for Cisco Security Manager installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\Cisco\Security Manager or /opt/CSM), or look for the 'Cisco Security Manager' service running on the system.Affected if The software is present on the system.
-
Determine the installed version of Cisco Security ManagerLocate the version information: in Windows, check 'Add or Remove Programs' for the version, or look for a version file in the installation directory. The web interface also displays version info on the login page or in the 'About' section.Affected if The version cannot be determined or is below 4.24.
-
Verify the web-based management interface is accessibleConfirm the Security Manager web interface (typically on ports 443 or 8443) is enabled and reachable. Check if the Apache Tomcat or JBoss service hosting the interface is running.Affected if The web interface is enabled and exposed, as this is the attack surface for the XSS vulnerability.
-
Confirm the version is within the affected rangeCompare the installed version to the affected range: any version prior to 4.24 (including 4.23, 4.22, 4.21, 4.20, 4.19, 4.18, 4.17, 4.16, 4.15, 4.14, 4.13, 4.12, and earlier major releases) is vulnerable.Affected if The installed version is any release before version 4.24.
A user is affected if Cisco Security Manager is installed with a web-based management interface running a version earlier than 4.24.
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.
From vendor data4.24
Apply Cisco's security updates for Cisco Security Manager when available. Until then, educate users to avoid clicking untrusted links and consider network segmentation to limit exposure to the management interface.
Fix this in Security Manager
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 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 $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-20643 — 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-2022-20643 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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