cisco-sa-esa-afw-zqYJkjxp: Cisco Secure Email Gateway Arbitrary File Write Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the Advanced Malware Protection (AMP) feature of Cisco Secure Email Gateway could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to write arbitrary files on the underlying operating system.This vulnerability is due to improper handling of email attachments when the file reputation service is enabled. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending an email that contains a crafted attachment through an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to write arbitrary files and execute commands with root privileges on the underlying operating system.Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.This advisory is available at the following link:https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-esa-afw-zqYJkjxpFor further documentation of improvements and fixes in Cisco Secure Email Gateway, see Cisco Secure Email Gateway and Secure Email and Web Manager Security Hardening Release: September 2026.
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What configuration is required for this issue to be exploitable?
The affected device must have the AMP feature enabled with the file reputation service enabled. The flaw is triggered by improper handling of email attachments in that configuration.
Does an attacker need credentials or local access?
No. An unauthenticated remote attacker can attempt exploitation by sending a crafted attachment in an email through an affected device.
What is the potential impact of successful exploitation?
An attacker could write arbitrary files on the underlying operating system and execute commands with root privileges.
Is there a mitigation if updates cannot be installed immediately?
No workaround is available. Cisco has released software updates that address the vulnerability.