---
id: CVE-2026-76461
title: "A vulnerability in the email parsing of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Secure Email Gateway could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges on the underlying operating system.\r\n\r\nThis …"
summary: "A vulnerability in the email parsing of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Secure Email Gateway could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges on the underlying operating system.\r\n\r\nThis …"
severity: critical
cvss: 9.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
cwe:
  - CWE-89
vendor: cisco
product: asyncos
affected:
  - asyncos < 15.5.5-014
  - 'asyncos >= 16.0, < 16.0.4-302'
  - 'asyncos >= 16.5, < 16.5.0-780'
patched:
  - asyncos 16.5.0-780
published: '2026-09-14'
updated: '2026-09-15'
sourceUpdated: '2026-09-15T12:47:32.497'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-76461'
references:
  - url: >-
      https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-esa-inj-2bLVGmhX
    label: psirt@cisco.com
  - url: >-
      https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-76461
    label: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
  - url: 'https://software.cisco.com'
tags:
  - nvd
  - kev
  - in-the-wild
  - exploit-available
  - cve.org
  - csaf
  - vendor-advisory
  - cisco
kev: true
kevDateAdded: '2026-09-14'
kevDueDate: '2026-09-17'
kevRansomware: false
exploited: true
exploits:
  github: 4
  githubRepos:
    - 'https://github.com/0xBlackash/CVE-2026-76461'
    - 'https://github.com/S3v3n-JG/CVE-2026-76461'
    - 'https://github.com/HORKimhab/CVE-2026-76461'
  checkedAt: '2026-09-21T15:30:40.768Z'
exploitAvailable: true
zeroDay: true
ssvc:
  exploitation: active
  automatable: 'yes'
  technicalImpact: total
  timestamp: '2026-09-14T19:40:04.523220Z'
ingestedAt: '2026-09-14T16:34:40.811Z'
epss: 0.02009
epssPercentile: 0.79731
---

## Overview

A vulnerability in the email parsing of Cisco AsyncOS Software for Cisco Secure Email Gateway could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges on the underlying operating system.

This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation in the email parsing logic. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted email message that contains malicious SQL statements through an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary SQL statements, leading to command execution with root privileges on the underlying operating system.

## Affected

- `asyncos < 15.5.5-014`
- `asyncos >= 16.0, < 16.0.4-302`
- `asyncos >= 16.5, < 16.5.0-780`

## Remediation

Upgrade past the affected range:

- `asyncos 16.5.0-780`

## Vendor advisories

- **cisco-sa-esa-inj-2bLVGmhX** · Cisco · affected: Cisco Secure Email (23 versions) · updated 2026-09-17 · [advisory](https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-esa-inj-2bLVGmhX)