# CVE-2026-20079: Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center auth bypass in web interface

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20079-cisco-secure-firewall-management-center-auth-bypass-in-web  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-03-04. Updated: 2026-09-24  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-20079 · Severity: critical · CVSS 10 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2026-03-04

Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) and Security Cloud Control (SCC) contain an authentication bypass vulnerability that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to gain root access to the underlying operating system. An attacker exploiting this flaw can execute arbitrary scripts and take complete control of the device, potentially compromising all managed firewalls and security policies. This vulnerability is already being exploited in the wild.

Technologies: [Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/secure-firewall-management-center-fmc), [Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/secure-firewall-management-center). Vendors: [Cisco](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/cisco).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-20079 exploited in the wild?** Yes. CVE-2026-20079 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 9 September 2026. Treat it as urgent.

**How severe is CVE-2026-20079?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 10, published 4 March 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.6, 7.7, 10.0; Cisco Security Cloud Control All versions (SaaS).

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-20079?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-20079 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-20079?** Check whether you run Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC), Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center, Cisco Security Cloud Control or one of the others listed at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

This vulnerability is an authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel in Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center and Security Cloud Control Firewall Management. An unauthenticated remote attacker can bypass the authentication mechanism via an alternative communication channel to execute arbitrary script files on the affected device. Successful exploitation grants root-level access to the underlying operating system, enabling complete system compromise and control of all managed security policies. The vulnerability is network-reachable and requires no user interaction or prior authentication. Active exploitation in the wild confirms this is being weaponized. Patch availability should be confirmed through Cisco security advisories.

## Affected products

- Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC)
- Cisco Security Cloud Control (SCC) Firewall Management

## Timeline

- 2026-09-09: disclosed
- 2026-09-09: exploited: Confirmed active exploitation in the wild

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- [Cisco Secure FMC privilege escalation in remote diagnostics debugger](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-76412-cisco-secure-fmc-privilege-escalation-in-remote-diagnostics)
- [Cisco Secure Firewall software resource lifecycle vulnerability](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20336-cisco-secure-firewall-software-resource-lifecycle-vulnerability)
- [Cisco Secure FMC and FTD sftunnel authentication bypass](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20323-cisco-secure-fmc-and-ftd-sftunnel-authentication-bypass)
- [Cisco Secure FMC and FTD memory exhaustion in sftunnel](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20295-cisco-secure-fmc-and-ftd-memory-exhaustion-in-sftunnel)