CVE-2025-20278
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows authenticated local attackers with administrative credentials to execute arbitrary commands as root on affected Cisco Unified Communications products. The issue stems from improper validation of command arguments in the CLI. Organizations using vulnerable Cisco UC products are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Cisco Unified Communications Manager
- Cisco Unified Communications Manager IM & Presence Service
- Cisco Unified Contact Center Express
- Cisco Unity Connection
📦 What is this software?
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Unified Communications Manager Im And Presence Service by Cisco
View all CVEs affecting Unified Communications Manager Im And Presence Service →
Unified Communications Manager Im And Presence Service by Cisco
View all CVEs affecting Unified Communications Manager Im And Presence Service →
Unified Communications Manager Im And Presence Service by Cisco
View all CVEs affecting Unified Communications Manager Im And Presence Service →
Unified Communications Manager Im And Presence Service by Cisco
View all CVEs affecting Unified Communications Manager Im And Presence Service →
Unified Communications Manager Im And Presence Service by Cisco
View all CVEs affecting Unified Communications Manager Im And Presence Service →
Unified Communications Manager Im And Presence Service by Cisco
View all CVEs affecting Unified Communications Manager Im And Presence Service →
Unified Communications Manager Im And Presence Service by Cisco
View all CVEs affecting Unified Communications Manager Im And Presence Service →
Unified Communications Manager Im And Presence Service by Cisco
View all CVEs affecting Unified Communications Manager Im And Presence Service →
Unified Communications Manager Im And Presence Service by Cisco
View all CVEs affecting Unified Communications Manager Im And Presence Service →
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with root-level command execution, allowing complete control over affected devices, data exfiltration, and lateral movement.
Likely Case
Privilege escalation from administrative user to root, enabling unauthorized configuration changes, service disruption, or persistence mechanisms.
If Mitigated
Limited impact due to strong access controls, network segmentation, and monitoring preventing successful exploitation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires administrative credentials but is straightforward once authenticated. No public exploit code is currently available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Multiple fixed versions - refer to Cisco advisory for specific product fixes
Vendor Advisory: https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-vos-command-inject-65s2UCYy
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Review Cisco advisory for affected versions. 2. Download and apply appropriate patches from Cisco Software Center. 3. Restart affected services or devices as required. 4. Verify patch installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict Administrative Access
allLimit administrative CLI access to only trusted personnel and implement strict access controls.
Network Segmentation
allIsolate Cisco UC systems from general network access and implement strict firewall rules.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls and monitor administrative account usage
- Segment affected systems and restrict network access to essential services only
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check current software version against affected versions listed in Cisco advisoryCheck Version:
show version active (Cisco UC CLI command)Verify Fix Applied:
Verify installed version matches or exceeds fixed versions specified in Cisco advisory📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual CLI command execution patterns
- Multiple failed authentication attempts followed by successful admin login
- Commands with unusual arguments or shell metacharacters
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected outbound connections from UC systems
- Anomalous administrative SSH/Telnet sessions
SIEM Query:
source="cisco-uc-logs" AND (event_type="cli_command" AND command="*") OR (auth_status="success" AND user_role="admin" AND src_ip NOT IN trusted_ips)