Vulnerability · CVE-2026-20079

Cisco Firewall Management Center Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel Vulnerability

Published Mar 4, 2026 · catalog updated Sep 16, 2026 · Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) and Security Cloud Control (SCC) Firewall Management

Patch now

CVE-2026-20079 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due Sep 12, 2026. Confirm Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) and Security Cloud Control (SCC) Firewall Management against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.

Severity: Critical10.0
Known exploitation: CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV
EPSS: 88.18%
Remediation: Remediation guidance
Affected products: cpe cisco/secure firewall management center · vendor Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) and Security Cloud Control (SCC) Firewall Management

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.

Are you affected?

Enter the version you run. The result uses only the ranges stored on this record.

The check returns affected, not affected, or incomplete. It does not guess a version that is missing from the record.

cpe cisco/secure firewall management center7.0.0
cpe cisco/secure firewall management center7.0.0.1
cpe cisco/secure firewall management center7.0.1
cpe cisco/secure firewall management center7.0.1.1
cpe cisco/secure firewall management center7.0.2
cpe cisco/secure firewall management center7.0.2.1
cpe cisco/secure firewall management center7.0.3
cpe cisco/secure firewall management center7.0.4
vendor Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) and Security Cloud Control (SCC) Firewall Managementversion unspecified

How to fix CVE-2026-20079

Recommended remediation
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. CISA due date Sep 12, 2026.
Official advisories

What to do

Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.

Should you patch?

Which versions are affected?

Compare what you have installed with cisco/secure firewall management center 7.0.0; cisco/secure firewall management center 7.0.0.1; cisco/secure firewall management center 7.0.1; cisco/secure firewall management center 7.0.1.1. 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.

What should an analyst verify?

CWE-288. EPSS 88.18%. The CISA KEV listing is the exploitation evidence. A public exploit reference is linked in Sources. That is not the same as confirmed exploitation. Use the source links for the original advisory.

Technology hubs

Cisco security

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

No public source repository is identified for this product.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

Mar 4, 2026 · Catalog
Detected
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 vulnerabil
Sep 9, 2026 · CISA KEV
Known exploited
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
Sep 12, 2026 · CISA KEV
Remediation due
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
Sep 16, 2026 · Catalog
Updated
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 vulnerabil
Sep 16, 2026 · NIST NVD
Updated
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 vulnerabil

Sources

CISA KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2026-20079
Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) Software and Cisco Security Cloud Control (SCC) Firewall Management contain an authentication Bypass using an alternate path or channel vulnerability that 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.
cisa.gov
Cisco Security AdvisoriesVendor advisoryCVE-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 vu
sec.cloudapps.cisco.com
CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2026-20079
Official CVE identifier
cve.org
FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2026-20079
30-day exploitation probability 88.2%
first.org
Metasploit ModulesPublic exploit moduleexploit_linux/http/cisco_fmc_auth_bypass_rce
Public module reference (normal). Module source is not copied into this catalog.
rapid7.com
NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-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.
nvd.nist.gov
VulnCheck KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2026-20079
Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) Software and Cisco Security Cloud Control (SCC) Firewall Management contain an authentication Bypass using an alternate path or channel vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass authentication and ex
vulncheck.com

References

Freshness

Last verified in this catalog Oct 18, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.

Priority score

86/100

Evidence confidence: Very high

CISA lists this vulnerability as known to be exploited.

Confirmed exploitation30/30
EPSS probability18/20
CVSS severity15/15
Public exploit10/10
Internet exposure10/10
Product prevalence3/5
Threat research0/5

Decision signals

Four separate signals — do not infer one from another.

Critical

CVSS severity
10.0 v3.1
Technical impact. Separate from exploitation likelihood.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS probability
88.18% · p99.77%
Estimated probability of exploitation within 30 days (FIRST).
Known exploitation
Yes · CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV
CISA KEV since Sep 9, 2026. Ransomware use: Unknown.
Patch availability
Remediation guidance
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.

Stacks

Cisco

Weakness

CWE-288 MITRE definition

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