Actively exploited · Published Dec 17, 2025 · Assigned by cisco

CVE-2025-20393Cisco Secure Email Gateway and Cisco Secure Email and Web Manager Remote Command Execution Vulnerability

Critical 10.0 Exploited

In plain English

A critical-severity improper input validation in Cisco Secure Email from Cisco. Attackers are actively exploiting it in the wild (listed by CISA on December 17, 2025). The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 32.4% (higher than 98% of all known vulnerabilities). Ready-made attack tooling exists: public proof-of-concept code. Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Severity (CVSS 3.1)10.0Critical
Exploit odds (30 days)32.4%top 1.7% of all CVEs
Exploited in the wildYesCISA KEV since Dec 17, 2025
Attack tooling1Public PoC

CISA guidance

Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Federal agencies must remediate by Dec 24, 2025.

Official description

A vulnerability in the Spam Quarantine feature of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Secure Email Gateway and Cisco Secure Email and Web Manager could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary system commands on an affected device with root privileges. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of HTTP requests by the Spam Quarantine feature. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request to the affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system with root privileges.

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Cisco Cisco Secure Email 14.0.0-69813.5.1-27713.0.0-39214.2.0-62013.0.5-00713.5.4-03814.2.1-02014.3.0-032
Cisco Cisco Secure Email and Web Manager 13.6.2-02313.6.2-07813.0.0-24913.0.0-27713.8.1-05213.8.1-06813.8.1-07414.0.0-404

Weakness: CWE-20 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

References