CVE-2019-1955
Cisco Email Security Appliance Header Injection Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) functionality of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Email Security Appliances (ESA) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass configured user filters on the device. The vulnerability is due to incomplete input and validation checking mechanisms for certain 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. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass the header filters that are configured for the affected device, which could allow malicious content 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
CVE List Score used
Cisco Email Security Appliance Header Injection Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) functionality of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Email Security Appliances (ESA) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass configured user filters on the device. The vulnerability is due to incomplete input and validation checking mechanisms for certain 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. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass the header filters that are configured for the affected device, which could allow malicious content to pass through the device.
- Record
CVE-2019-1955- 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
EUVDEUVD-2019-10512
A vulnerability in the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) functionality of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Email Security Appliances (ESA) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass configured user filters on the device. The vulnerability is due to incomplete input and validation checking mechanisms for certain 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. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass the header filters that are configured for the affected device, which could allow malicious content to pass through the device.
- Record
EUVD-2019-10512- 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 - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-x58p-f2fr-mr4f
A vulnerability in the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) functionality of Cisco AsyncOS Software for...
A vulnerability in the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) functionality of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Email Security Appliances (ESA) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass configured user filters on the device. The vulnerability is due to incomplete input and validation checking mechanisms for certain 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. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass the header filters that are configured for the affected device, which could allow malicious content to pass through the device.
- Record
GHSA-x58p-f2fr-mr4f- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-20
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
A vulnerability in the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) functionality of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Email Security Appliances (ESA) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass configured user filters on the device. The vulnerability is due to incomplete input and validation checking mechanisms for certain 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. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass the header filters that are configured for the affected device, which could allow malicious content to pass through the device.
- Record
CVE-2019-1955- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - 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-20
- 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-2019-1955 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.3) in Cisco Email Security Appliance (esa), published August 8, 2019. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.41%, the 72nd percentile. No source names a fixed version.