CVE entry · CVE-2026-20045
CVE-2026-20045: Cisco Unified Communications Products Code Injection Vulnerability
Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Unified CM), Cisco Unified Communications Manager Session Management Edition (Unified CM SME), Cisco Unified Communications Manager IM & Presence Service (Unified CM IM&P), Cisco Unity Connection, and Cisco Webex Calling Dedicated Instance contain a code injection vulnerability that could allow the attacker to obtain user-level access to the underlying operating system and then elevate privileges to root.
- Actively exploited: added to CISA’s KEV catalog on January 21, 2026.
- Use by ransomware: not established so far.
- Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: February 11, 2026.
Description from CISA’s KEV catalog.
What to do
- Check whether your estate includes Cisco Unified Communications Manager, including internet-facing devices.
- Apply the vendor’s patch or mitigations (references below). Failing that, isolate the product or stop using it, as CISA requires of US federal agencies.
- An exploited vulnerability has often been used before it was fixed: look for signs of compromise, especially on internet-facing devices.
References
- Vendor advisory or reference cited by CISA (sec.cloudapps.cisco.com)
- NVD entry (NIST)
- CISA KEV catalog
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