Vulnerability Monitor

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CVE-2016-6465


A vulnerability in the content filtering functionality of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Email Security Appliances and Cisco Web Security Appliances could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass user filters that are configured for an affected device. Affected Products: This vulnerability affects all releases prior to the first fixed release of Cisco AsyncOS Software for both virtual and hardware versions of the following Cisco products: Cisco Email Security Appliances (ESAs) that are configured to use message or content filters that scan incoming email attachments; Cisco Web Security Appliances (WSAs) that are configured to use services that scan accessed web content. More Information: CSCva90076, CSCvb06764. Known Affected Releases: 10.0.0-125 8.5.7-042 9.7.2-047.


Security Impact Summary

This vulnerability carries a MEDIUM severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 4.3, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network with relatively low complexity though user interaction is required and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts limited data confidentiality, for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from cisco organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.

Historical Context

First disclosed in 2016, this vulnerability was reported during a period defined by widespread IoT adoption challenges, mobile security concerns, and the emergence of advanced persistent threat (APT) techniques. Contemporary mitigation strategies focused on secure development practices and third-party component vetting.


Published

2016-12-14T00:59:04.547

Last Modified

2025-04-12T10:46:40.837

Status

Deferred

Source

[email protected]

Severity

CVSSv3.0: 4.3 (MEDIUM)

CVSSv2 Vector

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N

  • Access Vector: NETWORK
  • Access Complexity: MEDIUM
  • Authentication: NONE
  • Confidentiality Impact: PARTIAL
  • Integrity Impact: NONE
  • Availability Impact: NONE
Exploitability Score

8.6

Impact Score

2.9

Weaknesses
  • Type: Primary
    CWE-20

Affected Vendors & Products
Type Vendor Product Version/Range Vulnerable?
Application cisco email_security_appliance 8.5.7-042 Yes
Application cisco email_security_appliance 9.7.2-047 Yes
Application cisco email_security_appliance 10.0.0-125 Yes
Application cisco email_security_appliance 10.0.0-232 Yes

References

How SecUtils Interprets This CVE

SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For cisco's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.