The Symantec Messaging Gateway can encounter a file inclusion vulnerability, which is a type of vulnerability that is most commonly found to affect web applications that rely on a scripting run time. This issue is caused when an application builds a path to executable code using an attacker-controlled variable in a way that allows the attacker to control which file is executed at run time. This file inclusion vulnerability subverts how an application loads code for execution. Successful exploitation of a file inclusion vulnerability will result in remote code execution on the web server that runs the affected web application.

The Symantec Messaging Gateway, when processing a specific email attachment, can allow a malformed or corrupted Word file with a potentially malicious macro through despite the administrator having the 'disarm' functionality enabled. This constitutes a 'bypass' of the disarm functionality resident to the application.