CVE-2026-20340
Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center Software Deserialization Arbitrary Root Command Execution Vulnerability
A vulnerability in Cisco Secure FMC Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands at the root privilege level.
This vulnerability is due to unsecured deserialization of web-management user-controlled data. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the device and sending a crafted HTTP payload. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to save the crafted payload and then execute it on the underlying operating system as root. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid credentials for a user account with at least the role of Security Analyst (read-only).
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
8.8
Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center Software Deserialization Arbitrary Root Command Execution Vulnerability
A vulnerability in Cisco Secure FMC Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands at the root privilege level.
This vulnerability is due to unsecured deserialization of web-management user-controlled data. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the device and sending a crafted HTTP payload. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to save the crafted payload and then execute it on the underlying operating system as root. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid credentials for a user account with at least the role of Security Analyst (read-only).
- Record
CVE-2026-20340- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-81116
8.8
A vulnerability in Cisco Secure FMC Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands at the root privilege level.
This vulnerability is due to unsecured deserialization of web-management user-controlled data. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the device and sending a crafted HTTP payload. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to save the crafted payload and then execute it on the underlying operating system as root. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid credentials for a user account with at least the role of Security Analyst (read-only).
- Record
EUVD-2026-81116- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-xpr9-grjf-6fm6
8.8
A vulnerability in Cisco Secure FMC Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to...
A vulnerability in Cisco Secure FMC Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands at the root privilege level.
This vulnerability is due to unsecured deserialization of web-management user-controlled data. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the device and sending a crafted HTTP payload. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to save the crafted payload and then execute it on the underlying operating system as root. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid credentials for a user account with at least the role of Security Analyst (read-only).
- Record
GHSA-xpr9-grjf-6fm6- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
8.8
A vulnerability in Cisco Secure FMC Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands at the root privilege level.
This vulnerability is due to unsecured deserialization of web-management user-controlled data. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the device and sending a crafted HTTP payload. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to save the crafted payload and then execute it on the underlying operating system as root. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid credentials for a user account with at least the role of Security Analyst (read-only).
- Record
CVE-2026-20340- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-20340 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.8) in Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (fmc), published September 16, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.74%, the 54th percentile. No source names a fixed version.