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Cisco Secure Email Gateway Arbitrary File Overwrite
CVE-2024-20401 is an arbitrary file overwrite vulnerability in the content-scanning and message-filtering functionality of Cisco Secure Email Gateway. Improper handling of crafted email attachments can allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to cause replacement of arbitrary files on the appliance's underlying operating system.
What it means and what to do now: patch path, interim mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.
What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.
An attacker can overwrite arbitrary files on the appliance filesystem. Depending on the overwritten target, this can enable creation of root-privileged users, modification of appliance configuration, arbitrary code execution, or a permanent denial-of-service condition. Recovery from the permanent denial-of-service condition requires manual intervention and may require Cisco Technical Assistance Center assistance.
If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.
Until the fixed Content Scanner Tools package or applicable Cisco AsyncOS release can be deployed, disable the file-analysis feature in Cisco AMP and content-filter functionality where operationally feasible. Restrict unnecessary network exposure and monitor inbound-email processing and appliance behavior for suspicious attachment-triggered failures or configuration changes.
Patch, then assume compromise.
Update Content Scanner Tools to version 23.3.0.4823 or later. Cisco AsyncOS for Cisco Secure Email Software release 15.5.1-055 and later includes the fixed Content Scanner Tools package by default. Apply Cisco's relevant Secure Email Gateway security updates.
No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.
Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.
7 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.