CVE-2026-20079
Cisco Firewall Management Center Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel Vulnerability
This vulnerability is in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog: attackers are using it. If you run Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) and Security Cloud Control (SCC) Firewall Management, fix it now.
CISA 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.
US federal civilian agencies must remediate by Sep 12, 2026.
Patch status
No official fix confirmed yet
Until a fix ships, follow the vendor's mitigations and CISA's required action, limit exposure of affected systems, and watch this record for a patch.
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.
Source: NIST National Vulnerability Database. Official vulnerability data, reproduced as published.
Affected products
| Product | Vendor | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) and Security Cloud Control (SCC) Firewall Management | Cisco | KEV |
Sources: KEV = CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Version details have not been published yet.
Intelligence timeline
Developments from the last 30 days, newest first.
- Added to CISA KEV
CVE-2026-20079 added to CISA KEV: Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) and Security Cloud Control (SCC) Firewall Management, Cisco Firewall Management Center Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel Vulnerability
CISA lists this as exploited in the wild. Unpatched Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) and Security Cloud Control (SCC) Firewall Management systems are exposed to active attacks now.
Basis: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
Coverage
We have not published a story about this vulnerability yet.