CVE-2022-20952 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

A vulnerability in the scanning engines of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Secure Web Appliance, formerly known as Cisco Web Security Appliance (WSA), could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass a configured rule, thereby allowing traffic onto a network that should have been blocked.

Understanding CVE-2022-20952

This CVE describes a vulnerability in Cisco Web Security Appliance that could be exploited by an attacker to bypass security rules and allow traffic onto the network.

What is CVE-2022-20952?

The vulnerability exists in the scanning engines of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Secure Web Appliance, enabling an attacker to bypass configured rules and receive traffic that should have been blocked.

The Impact of CVE-2022-20952

If successfully exploited, this vulnerability could allow unauthorized traffic onto the network by bypassing security rules, compromising the integrity of the network.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-20952

This section provides detailed technical information about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Cisco Web Security Appliance allows malformed, encoded traffic to go undetected, enabling an attacker to connect to a malicious server and receive malformed HTTP responses.

Affected Systems and Versions

Vendor: Cisco
Product: Cisco Web Security Appliance (WSA)
Affected Versions: 10.5.3-000, 10.5.5-000, 11.5.2-000, 11.8.0-414, 11.8.1-023, 11.8.3-018, 11.8.3-021, 12.0.1-268, 12.0.3-007, 10.6.0-000, 12.5.2-007, 12.5.1-011, 12.5.4-005, 12.5.5-004, 14.5.0-498, 14.0.3-014, 14.0.2-012

Exploitation Mechanism

The attacker can exploit this vulnerability by connecting through an affected device to a malicious server and receiving malformed HTTP responses, thereby bypassing explicit block rules.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2022-20952 requires immediate action and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Implement the recommended security patches provided by Cisco.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activity.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch software and security systems.
Conduct security audits and assessments periodically.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that all affected versions of Cisco Web Security Appliance are updated with the latest security patches to mitigate the risk of exploitation.