# CVE-2020-3117: Cisco Web Security Appliance and Cisco Content Security Management Appliance HTTP Header Injection Vulnerability

> Unauthenticated attackers can inject arbitrary HTTP headers into responses via crafted URLs, potentially bypassing security controls on Cisco WSAs and SMAs.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.7 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 23 Sep 2020
- **Updated:** 13 Nov 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-mg6c-ww2w-mv2h

## What is CVE-2020-3117?

CVE-2020-3117 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Web Security Appliance, published on 23 Sep 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

A vulnerability in the API Framework of Cisco AsyncOS for Cisco Web Security Appliance (WSA) and Cisco Content Security Management Appliance (SMA) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to inject crafted HTTP headers in the web server's response. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by persuading a user to access a crafted URL and receive a malicious HTTP response. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to inject arbitrary HTTP headers into valid HTTP responses sent to a user's browser.

Weakness: CWE-113 (Improper Neutralization of CRLF Sequences in HTTP Headers)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-3117?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Cisco Content Security Management Appliance, Cisco Web Security Appliance.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-3117?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-3117 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-3117 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-3117 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Web Security Appliance

- [CVE-2014-2119](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-2119/): File upload in n/a (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2015-6321](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-6321/): Denial of service in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2013-5537](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-5537/): Denial of service in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2016-2183](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-2183/): Weak cryptography in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2013-3395](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-3395/): Cross-site request forgery in n/a (medium 6.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-3117 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-3117 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Web Security Appliance, published on 23 Sep 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-3117 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco Web Security Appliance. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3117/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3117/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-3117
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3117
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-3117

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3117/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.
