CVE-2018-0447
Cisco Email Security Appliance URL Filtering Bypass Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the anti-spam protection mechanisms of Cisco AsyncOS Software for the Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass certain content filters on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to incomplete input and validation checking mechanisms for certain Sender Policy Framework (SPF) messages that are sent to an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a customized SPF packet to an affected device. If successful, an exploit could allow the attacker to bypass the URL filters that are configured for the affected device, which could allow malicious URLs to pass through the device.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
A vulnerability in the anti-spam protection mechanisms of Cisco AsyncOS Software for the Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass certain content filters on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to incomplete input and validation checking mechanisms for certain Sender Policy Framework (SPF) messages that are sent to an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a customized SPF packet to an affected device. If successful, an exploit could allow the attacker to bypass the URL filters that are configured for the affected device, which could allow malicious URLs to pass through the device.
- Record
CVE-2018-0447- CVSS 3.0
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 5.0 Medium
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-284, CWE-20
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
Cisco Email Security Appliance URL Filtering Bypass Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the anti-spam protection mechanisms of Cisco AsyncOS Software for the Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass certain content filters on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to incomplete input and validation checking mechanisms for certain Sender Policy Framework (SPF) messages that are sent to an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a customized SPF packet to an affected device. If successful, an exploit could allow the attacker to bypass the URL filters that are configured for the affected device, which could allow malicious URLs to pass through the device.
- Record
CVE-2018-0447- Weakness
- CWE-284
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2018-1270 No score
A vulnerability in the anti-spam protection mechanisms of Cisco AsyncOS Software for the Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass certain content filters on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to incomplete input and validation checking mechanisms for certain Sender Policy Framework (SPF) messages that are sent to an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a customized SPF packet to an affected device. If successful, an exploit could allow the attacker to bypass the URL filters that are configured for the affected device, which could allow malicious URLs to pass through the device.
- Record
EUVD-2018-1270- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-6x9p-wvp8-hwgq
A vulnerability in the anti-spam protection mechanisms of Cisco AsyncOS Software for the Cisco...
A vulnerability in the anti-spam protection mechanisms of Cisco AsyncOS Software for the Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass certain content filters on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to incomplete input and validation checking mechanisms for certain Sender Policy Framework (SPF) messages that are sent to an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a customized SPF packet to an affected device. If successful, an exploit could allow the attacker to bypass the URL filters that are configured for the affected device, which could allow malicious URLs to pass through the device.
- Record
GHSA-6x9p-wvp8-hwgq- CVSS 3.0
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-20
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2018-0447 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.3) in Cisco Email Security Appliance (esa), published October 5, 2018. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 2.28%, the 83rd percentile. No source names a fixed version.