CVE-2025-20274 is a vulnerability identified in the web-based management interface of Cisco Unified Intelligence Center, a component of Cisco Unified Contact Center Express (UCCX). This vulnerability allows an authenticated remote attacker with valid credentials—specifically, a user account with at least the Report Designer role—to upload arbitrary files to the affected system. The root cause is improper validation of uploaded files, which enables an attacker to upload malicious files that could be executed on the underlying operating system. Successful exploitation can lead to arbitrary command execution and privilege escalation to root, significantly compromising the system's confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of Cisco UCCX, spanning from 10.5(1) through various 12.5.x releases, including numerous service and extended support updates. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.3 (medium severity), reflecting network attack vector, low attack complexity, required privileges, no user interaction, and impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the potential for privilege escalation and root access elevates the risk profile. The vulnerability requires authentication but no user interaction beyond that, making it a significant threat in environments where user credentials are compromised or weakly protected.

For European organizations using Cisco Unified Contact Center Express, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk. UCCX is widely deployed in enterprise contact centers, including those in finance, telecommunications, healthcare, and public sector organizations across Europe. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive customer data, disruption of contact center operations, and potential lateral movement within corporate networks. The ability to execute arbitrary commands as root could allow attackers to implant persistent backdoors, exfiltrate data, or disrupt services, impacting business continuity and regulatory compliance, especially under GDPR. Given the critical role of contact centers in customer engagement and support, any compromise could damage reputation and incur financial penalties. Furthermore, the requirement for valid credentials means insider threats or credential theft via phishing or other means could facilitate exploitation. The medium CVSS score may understate the real-world impact due to the privilege escalation potential and operational criticality of affected systems.

Mitigation should focus on immediate and specific actions beyond generic patching advice. Organizations should: 1) Restrict and audit user roles with Report Designer privileges, ensuring only necessary personnel have upload capabilities. 2) Implement strong multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 3) Monitor and log all file upload activities and anomalous commands executed on UCCX systems for early detection of exploitation attempts. 4) Apply network segmentation to isolate UCCX management interfaces from general user networks and limit exposure to trusted administrators only. 5) Deploy application-layer firewalls or web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious file uploads or command execution patterns. 6) Regularly review and update access control policies and conduct security awareness training focused on credential security. 7) Once Cisco releases patches or updates, prioritize testing and deployment in production environments. 8) Conduct vulnerability scanning and penetration testing specifically targeting the upload functionality to verify the effectiveness of mitigations.