CVE-2026-20079 Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) and Security Cloud Control (SCC) Firewall Management: login or permission bypass
In plain words: A door that should be locked is not: part of the system can be reached without a valid login or permission. The attacker gets in as a user or administrator without knowing a password.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline Sep 12, 2026
What to do
- Install Cisco's security update for Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) and Security Cloud Control (SCC) Firewall Management. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
- Never expose the device's admin page to the internet.
- After patching a device that was exposed, follow the vendor's compromise checks, end active sessions and change passwords.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: They face the internet and guard the whole network, so a flaw here can hand attackers a way in — and these devices usually run no antivirus, so break-ins go unnoticed.
The details
- Official name
- Cisco Firewall Management Center Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel Vulnerability
- Product
- Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) and Security Cloud Control (SCC) Firewall Management
- CISA description
- 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.
- Type of flaw
- Login or permission bypass (CWE-288)
- Confirmed exploited
- Sep 9, 2026
- US federal patch deadline
- Sep 12, 2026
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Answering about CVE-2026-20079 ·
Questions about CVE-2026-20079
Is CVE-2026-20079 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2026-20079 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Sep 9, 2026, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2026-20079?
Install Cisco's security update for Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) and Security Cloud Control (SCC) Firewall Management. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-20079?
Only if you use Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) and Security Cloud Control (SCC) Firewall Management. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.