Strix
26.1K

CVE-2025-20185

MEDIUMCVSS 6.7/10EPSS 0.17%

Last modified

CVE-2025-20185 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.7/10 on the CVSS scale. A vulnerability in the implementation of the remote access functionality of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Secure Email and Web Manager, Cisco Secure Email Gateway, and Cisco Secure Web Appliance could allow an authenticated, local attacker to elevate privileges to root. The attacker must authenticate with valid administrator credentials. This vulnerability is due to an architectural flaw in the password generation algorithm for the remote access functionality. EPSS estimates a 0.17% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A vulnerability in the implementation of the remote access functionality of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Secure Email and Web Manager, Cisco Secure Email Gateway, and Cisco Secure Web Appliance could allow an authenticated, local attacker to elevate privileges to root. The attacker must authenticate with valid administrator credentials. This vulnerability is due to an architectural flaw in the password generation algorithm for the remote access functionality. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by generating a temporary password for the service account. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands as root and access the underlying operating system. Note: The Security Impact Rating (SIR) for this vulnerability is Medium due to the unrestricted scope of information that is accessible to an attacker.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
6.7/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability
0.17%

6.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

VendorProductVersions
CiscoAsyncos13.0.0-392
CiscoAsyncos13.0.5-007
CiscoAsyncos13.5.1-277
CiscoAsyncos13.5.4-038
CiscoAsyncos14.0.0-698
CiscoAsyncos14.2.0-620
CiscoAsyncos14.2.1-020
CiscoAsyncos14.3.0-032
CiscoAsyncos15.0.0-104
CiscoAsyncos15.0.1-030
CiscoAsyncos15.0.3-002
CiscoAsyncos15.5.0-048
CiscoAsyncos15.5.1-055
CiscoAsyncos15.5.2-018

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-20185?
A vulnerability in the implementation of the remote access functionality of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Secure Email and Web Manager, Cisco Secure Email Gateway, and Cisco Secure Web Appliance could allow an authenticated, local attacker to elevate privileges to root. The attacker must authenticate with valid administrator credentials. This vulnerability is due to an architectural flaw in the password generation algorithm for the remote access functionality. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by generating a temporary password for the service account. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands as root and access the underlying operating system. Note: The Security Impact Rating (SIR) for this vulnerability is Medium due to the unrestricted scope of information that is accessible to an attacker.
How severe is CVE-2025-20185?
CVE-2025-20185 has a CVSS score of 6.7/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.17% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2025-20185?
Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2025-20185?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST