CVE-2019-15971
Cisco Email Security Appliance MP3 Content Filter Bypass Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the MP3 detection engine of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass configured content filters on the device. The vulnerability is due to improper validation of certain MP3 file types. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted MP3 file through the targeted device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass configured content filters that would normally drop the email.
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
CVE List Score used
Cisco Email Security Appliance MP3 Content Filter Bypass Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the MP3 detection engine of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass configured content filters on the device. The vulnerability is due to improper validation of certain MP3 file types. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted MP3 file through the targeted device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass configured content filters that would normally drop the email.
- Record
CVE-2019-15971- CVSS 3.0
- 5.8 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-20
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2019-6865
A vulnerability in the MP3 detection engine of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass configured content filters on the device. The vulnerability is due to improper validation of certain MP3 file types. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted MP3 file through the targeted device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass configured content filters that would normally drop the email.
- Record
EUVD-2019-6865- CVSS 3.0
- 5.8 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-qrpg-pg76-xv44 No score
A vulnerability in the MP3 detection engine of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Email Security...
A vulnerability in the MP3 detection engine of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass configured content filters on the device. The vulnerability is due to improper validation of certain MP3 file types. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted MP3 file through the targeted device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass configured content filters that would normally drop the email.
- Record
GHSA-qrpg-pg76-xv44- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
A vulnerability in the MP3 detection engine of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass configured content filters on the device. The vulnerability is due to improper validation of certain MP3 file types. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted MP3 file through the targeted device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass configured content filters that would normally drop the email.
- Record
CVE-2019-15971- CVSS 3.1
- 4.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N - CVSS 3.0
- 5.8 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 4.3 Medium
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-20, CWE-345
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2019-15971 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.8) in Cisco Email Security Appliance (esa), published November 26, 2019. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.45%, the 39th percentile. No source names a fixed version.