dbcve.org
Security ManagerApplication · Cisco

CVE-2022-20645

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 scripts via crafted URLs. The vulnerabilities stem from insufficient validation of user-supplied input, enabling script execution in the context of the authenticated user's session or access to sensitive browser-based information.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied patches for Cisco Security Manager. As an immediate compensating control, implement URL filtering or WAF rules to block known malicious patterns, and educate users about avoiding clicks on untrusted links.

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. Verify Cisco Security Manager is installed
    Check for the presence of Cisco Security Manager by looking for its installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\Cisco\Security Manager or similar on Windows) or check for the 'CSManager' service in Windows Services.
    Affected if The product is installed on the system.
  2. Identify the installed version
    Open the Windows Control Panel, go to Programs and Features, and locate 'Cisco Security Manager' to view the installed version number. Alternatively, check the version file in the installation directory if accessible.
    Affected if The displayed version is lower than 4.24.
  3. Confirm the web management interface is accessible
    Attempt to access the Cisco Security Manager web interface by navigating to the configured URL (commonly https://localhost:8443 or the configured hostname/IP on port 443/8443) using a web browser.
    Affected if The web interface loads and is reachable.
  4. Check if remote access is enabled
    Review the Cisco Security Manager configuration to determine if the web-based management interface is configured to accept remote (non-localhost) connections. This may be found in the application's service configuration or IIS settings if hosted on Windows IIS.
    Affected if Remote access to the web interface is enabled and the server is network-reachable.

A system is affected if Cisco Security Manager is installed with a version lower than 4.24 and the web-based management interface is accessible, enabling potential exploitation via crafted malicious URLs.

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-supplied patches for Cisco Security Manager. As an immediate compensating control, implement URL filtering or WAF rules to block known malicious patterns, and educate users about avoiding clicks on untrusted links.

Recommended fix High confidence

4.24

  1. 1. Back up the current Cisco Security Manager configuration and database
  2. 2. Download Cisco Security Manager version 4.24 or later from the Cisco Software Download page
  3. 3. Review Cisco upgrade documentation for the specific upgrade procedure for your deployment
  4. 4. Execute the upgrade following Cisco's documented upgrade process
  5. 5. After upgrade, verify the Security Manager web interface is accessible and functioning correctly
  6. 6. Confirm the version number reflects the patched release (4.24 or later)

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Security Manager Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,800
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,880.

Scan for this in your stack

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dbcve dependency scanner

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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-2022-20645 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