Cisco Secure Endpoint: Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input
CVE-2026-20243 is a high-severity buffer copy without checking size of input vulnerability in Cisco Secure Endpoint from Cisco, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected Cisco Secure Endpoint versions: 7.0.5; 6.2.19; 7.3.3, and others listed below. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.57% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Secure Endpoint to 1.27.2 or 1.29.0 or 8.6.2, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Clamav to 1.4.5 or 1.5.3, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Read the advisory on sec.cloudapps.cisco.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco | Cisco Secure Endpoint | 7.0.5; 6.2.19; 7.3.3; 7.2.13; 6.1.5; 6.3.1; 6.2.5; 7.3.5; and 32 more ranges | Not stated |
| Cisco | Secure Endpoint | before 1.27.2; before 1.29.0; before 8.6.2 | 1.27.2, 1.29.0, 8.6.2 |
| Clamav | Clamav | 1.4.0 up to, but not including, 1.4.5; 1.5.0 up to, but not including, 1.5.3 | 1.4.5, 1.5.3 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- NoneNo data is disclosed.
- Integrity
- NoneNothing can be modified.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. Scored by CNA (cisco.com).
Official description
A vulnerability in the ALZ file format parser of ClamAV could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a DoS condition, or possibly other expanded impacts, resulting from memory corruption on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper boundary checks for content in ALZ files during scanning, which may result in an out-of-bounds buffer write. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by submitting a crafted file that contains ALZ content to be scanned by ClamAV on an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the ClamAV scanning process to terminate, resulting in a DoS condition on the affected software.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input
The product copies an input buffer to an output buffer without verifying that the size of the input buffer is less than the size of the output buffer.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, many languages that perform their own memory management, such as Java and Perl, are not subject to buffer overflows. Other languages, such as Ada and C#, typically provide overflow protection, but the protection can be disabled by the programmer. Be wary that a language's interface to native code may still be subject to overflows, even if the language itself is theoretically safe.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. Examples include the Safe C String Library (SafeStr) by Messier and Viega, and the Strsafe.h library from Microsoft. These libraries provide safer versions of overflow-prone string-handling functions.
- Use automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are offered by certain compilers or compiler extensions. Examples include: the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice, which provide various mechanisms including canary-based detection and range/index checking. D3-SFCV (Stack Frame Canary Validation) from D3FEND discusses canary-based detection in detail.
More Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input vulnerabilities (CWE-120)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Secure Endpoint
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
Recent Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.6 High severity
Spotted an error? Tell us.