# CVE-2025-20256: Cisco Secure Network Analytics Manager Server-Side Template Injection Vulnerability

> Authenticated administrators can execute arbitrary root commands via server-side template injection in the web interface.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 21 May 2025
- **Updated:** 26 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-w687-qrqx-jr57

## What is CVE-2025-20256?

CVE-2025-20256 is a medium-severity code injection vulnerability in Cisco Secure Network Analytics, published on 21 May 2025. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Secure Network Analytics Manager and Cisco Secure Network Analytics Virtual Manager could allow an authenticated, remote attacker with valid administrative credentials to execute arbitrary commands as root on the underlying operating system.

This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation in specific fields of the web-based management interface. An attacker with valid administrative credentials could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted input to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system with root privileges. 

Weakness: CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-20256?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cisco Secure Network Analytics.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-20256?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-20256 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-20256 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-20256 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Secure Network Analytics

- [CVE-2023-20102](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20102/): Cisco Secure Network Analytics Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2025-20257](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20257/): Cisco Secure Network Analytics API Authorization Vulnerability (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2022-20663](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-20663/): Secure Network Analytics Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2025-20178](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20178/): Cisco Secure Network Analytics Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (medium 6.0)
- [CVE-2022-20797](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-20797/): Cisco Secure Network Analytics Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (medium 5.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-20256 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-20256 is a medium-severity code injection vulnerability in Cisco Secure Network Analytics, published on 21 May 2025. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-20256 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco Secure Network Analytics. 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-2025-20256/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20256/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-20256
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-20256
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-20256

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20256/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.