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ExploitedIn CISA KEV

CVE-2026-20079

Exploitation confirmed. First attested on 2026-09-09 by CISA-ADP, CISA KEV, GCVE · enisa-cnw-kev, GCVE · previdian.

  • Published2026-03-04
  • WeaknessCWE-288

Am I affected?

With a domain, we read the version its public headers and pages expose. A distribution build can carry the fix under an older number.

Description

A vulnerability in the web interface of Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass authentication and execute script files on an affected device to obtain root access to the underlying operating system.  This vulnerability is due to an improper system process that is created at boot time. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute a variety of scripts and commands that allow root access to the device. 

Timeline

dates in UTC
  1. 2026-03-0418:16CVE publishedNVD
  2. 2026-09-09Added to the CISA KEV catalogCISA KEV
  3. 2026-09-09Listed as exploited by GCVEGCVE
  4. 2026-09-09Exploitation first reportedCISA KEV
  5. 2026-09-1003:55SSVC exploitation set to activeCISA-ADP

Versions per branch

NVD
Cisco secure firewall management center
BranchAffectedFixed in
7.0= 7.0.0no fix published
7.0= 7.0.0.1no fix published
7.0= 7.0.1no fix published
7.0= 7.0.1.1no fix published
7.0= 7.0.2no fix published
7.0= 7.0.2.1no fix published
7.0= 7.0.3no fix published
7.0= 7.0.4no fix published
7.0= 7.0.5no fix published
7.0= 7.0.6no fix published
7.0= 7.0.6.1no fix published
7.0= 7.0.6.2no fix published

as publishedRanges as NVD and OSV publish them; a distribution’s build can be fixed under an older number.

Products declared by the CNA1 product

As cisco, the CNA that assigned this CVE, declared them in the CVE record; versions as written.

  • Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC)other versions: unknown
    Affected
    • = 7.0.0no fix stated
    • = 7.0.0.1no fix stated
    • = 7.0.1no fix stated
    • = 7.1.0no fix stated
    • = 7.0.1.1no fix stated
    • = 7.1.0.1no fix stated
    • = 7.0.2no fix stated
    • = 7.2.0no fix stated

    64 more version lines in the CVE record.

Source: the CNA record (CVE Program), © The MITRE Corporation,CVE Terms of UseCVE recordupdated 2026-09-16

Fix

  1. CISA’s required action: Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.due 2026-09-12

Advisories and patches

Detection

read 2026-11-09 09:28 UTC
Nuclei template
available
ProjectDiscovery
Exploit-DB
no entry
Exploit-DB
Proof of concept
Metasploit modules
1 moduleexploit/linux/http/cisco_fmc_auth_bypass_rcerank: normalModule metadata: Metasploit Framework, © Rapid7, Inc., BSD-3-Clause.
Metasploit Framework

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerability

Date Added
2026-09-09
Patch Due Date
2026-09-12
Ransomware Use
Unknown
Required Action
Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.

Sources

Identifiers

Technical details

CVSS v3 Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Published
2026-03-04
Last Modified
2026-09-16
NVD status
Analyzed
GitHub Advisory
GHSA-mv8w-c2qv-cgrg

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-20079?

A vulnerability in the web interface of Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass authentication and execute script files on an affected device to obtain root access to the underlying operating system.  This vulnerability is due to an improper system process that is created at boot time. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute a variety of scripts and commands that allow root access to the device. 

Is CVE-2026-20079 actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2026-20079 is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, meaning it has been confirmed as actively exploited in the wild. CISA requires federal agencies to patch by 2026-09-12.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-20079?

CVE-2026-20079 has a CVSS v3 base score of 10 (CRITICAL severity), with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H.

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Sources for this record