CVE-2026-20044: A vulnerability in the lockdown mechanism of Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) Software could allo

Routine

MEDIUM 6.0UPGRADE

CVE-2026-20044 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 6.0) affecting secure firewall management center. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

A vulnerability in the lockdown mechanism of Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to perform arbitrary commands as root. This vulnerability is due to insufficient restrictions on remediation modules while in lockdown mode. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted input to the system CLI of the affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to

Why this priority

No elevated risk signals yet

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	6.0 (Medium)
Attack vector	Local
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	High
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	0.1% (top 96%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-269
Published	2026-03-04
Last modified	2026-09-02

Publisher (CNA): Cisco Systems, Inc. · Vendor: cisco

Last updated 2026-09-02 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2026-03-04 18:16 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-09-02 15:03 UTCUpdated Record last modified

cisco secure firewall management center UPGRADE

Affected: >= 6.4.0 and <= 6.4.0.18 · >= 7.0.0 and <= 7.0.8.1 · >= 7.1.0 and <= 7.1.0.3 · >= 7.2.0 and <= 7.2.10.2 · >= 7.3.0 and <= 7.3.1.2 · >= 7.4.0 and <= 7.4.3 · >= 7.6.0 and <= 7.6.2.1 · >= 7.7.0 and <= 7.7.10.1

Fixed in: newer than 7.7.10.1

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 6.4.0

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy secure-firewall-management-center || rpm -q secure-firewall-management-center || secure-firewall-management-center --version

2. UPGRADE to newer than 7.7.10.1 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade secure-firewall-management-center

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade secure-firewall-management-center

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE to a release before 6.4.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison secure-firewall-management-center sudo apt install secure-firewall-management-center=<VERSION_BEFORE_6.4.0> sudo apt-mark hold secure-firewall-management-center

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list secure-firewall-management-center sudo dnf downgrade secure-firewall-management-center-<VERSION_BEFORE_6.4.0> sudo dnf versionlock add secure-firewall-management-center

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2026-20044?

secure firewall management center: upgrade to newer than 7.7.10.1. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2026-20044 being exploited?

CVE-2026-20044 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2026-20044 affect?

CVE-2026-20044 affects secure firewall management center. Severity is medium (CVSS 6.0). A vulnerability in the lockdown mechanism of Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to perform arbitrary commands as root. This vulnerability is due to insufficient restriction

How urgent is CVE-2026-20044?

Priority 22/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

Software pages

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References

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