Secure Network AnalyticsApplication · Cisco
CVE-2022-20741
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 web-based management interface of the Network Diagrams application for Cisco Secure Network Analytics, formerly Stealthwatch Enterprise, could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against a user of the interface. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input by the web-based management interface of the affected software. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability 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 affected 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 · moderate confidenceThis is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Secure Network Analytics' Network Diagrams application. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied input, allowing an authenticated remote attacker to inject malicious script code via a crafted link that executes in the context of the affected interface when clicked by a user.
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
Secure Network AnalyticsApplication
< 2.1.1CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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 Secure Network Analytics installationLocate and identify the Cisco Secure Network Analytics product in your environment. Check for the presence of the Network Diagrams application component.Affected if The product is Cisco Secure Network Analytics with Network Diagrams application present
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Determine installed versionAccess the web-based management interface or use the system's software version check command to retrieve the exact version number of Cisco Secure Network Analytics.Affected if The installed version is less than 2.1.1 (versions like 2.1.0, 2.0.x, 1.x.x are affected)
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Verify web-based management interface is accessibleConfirm that the web-based management interface is enabled and accessible for Cisco Secure Network Analytics. This is required as the vulnerability exists in this interface.Affected if The web-based management interface is enabled and reachable
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Check if Network Diagrams feature is in useLog into the management interface and navigate to the Network Diagrams application section. Identify if any diagrams have been created or modified by users.Affected if The Network Diagrams application is active and contains user-created diagrams or links
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Inspect diagram content for suspicious scriptsReview stored diagrams and any embedded links within the Network Diagrams application for unexpected or malicious JavaScript code, encoded characters, or script tags.Affected if Unexpected script tags, event handlers, or encoded payloads are found in diagram data
You are affected if Cisco Secure Network Analytics is installed with a version lower than 2.1.1 and the web-based management interface with the Network Diagrams application is accessible and in use.
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 · scoped2.1.1
Apply the vendor patch when available; in the interim, implement input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied data in the Network Diagrams application and consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to mitigate XSS execution.
Secure Network Analytics 2.1.1 or later
- 1. Back up the current Secure Network Analytics configuration and database according to Cisco backup procedures
- 2. Download Secure Network Analytics version 2.1.1 or later from the Cisco Software Download Center (software.cisco.com)
- 3. Access the Secure Network Analytics management interface with administrator credentials
- 4. Navigate to the System or Administration section to locate the upgrade option
- 5. Upload the downloaded upgrade package and initiate the upgrade process
- 6. Monitor the upgrade progress and allow the system to reboot as needed
- 7. After upgrade completes, verify the version number reflects 2.1.1 or later in the management interface
- 8. Test that the Network Diagrams application functions correctly and that XSS vulnerability is resolved
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Secure Network Analytics
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,600.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-20741 — 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-2022-20741 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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- 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
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