VulnerabilityPublished 1 Apr 2026

CVE-2026-20151: Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem · Insertion of Sensitive Information Into Sent Data

Affects Cisco Smart Software Manager On-PremSource CVE Database V5

Compare

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.3 High.

Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 11:52 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.3High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 19% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: High: There is a total loss of integrity, or a complete loss of protection. For example, the attacker is able to modify any/all files protected by the impacted component. Alternatively, only some files can be modified, but malicious modification would present a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 1 Apr 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 30 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
CiscoCisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem	Affected 7-202001 – 9-202510 29 affected builds	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2026-20151, organizations should immediately verify if their Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem deployments are running affected versions and prioritize upgrading to patched versions once Cisco releases updates addressing this vulnerability. Until patches are available, restrict access to the web interface to trusted administrators only, enforce strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of credential compromise, and monitor for unusual activity indicative of privilege escalation attempts. Network segmentation should be applied to isolate the management interface from general user networks. Additionally, review and minimize the number of users assigned the System User role to limit potential attackers. Implement logging and alerting on access and privilege changes within the SSM On-Prem system to detect suspicious behavior early. Regularly audit user sessions and credentials to identify anomalies. Finally, educate administrators about the risks of session credential exposure and the importance of secure session handling.

Description

A vulnerability in the web interface of Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem (SSM On-Prem) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to elevate privileges on an affected system. This vulnerability is due to the improper transmission of sensitive user information. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted message to an affected Cisco SSM On-Prem host and retrieving session credentials from subsequent status messages. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to elevate privileges on the affected system from low to administrative. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid credentials for a user account with at least the role of System User. Note: This vulnerability exposes information only about users who logged in to the Cisco SSM On-Prem host using the web interface and who are currently logged in. SSH sessions are not affected.

Impact

The impact of CVE-2026-20151 is significant for organizations relying on Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem for license management and software entitlement tracking. Successful exploitation allows an attacker with valid System User credentials to escalate privileges to administrative level, potentially leading to full system compromise. This could result in unauthorized access to sensitive license data, manipulation or deletion of license entitlements, disruption of software compliance processes, and broader network security risks if administrative control is leveraged for lateral movement. The confidentiality of session credentials is directly compromised, increasing the risk of persistent unauthorized access. Although availability is not impacted, the integrity and confidentiality breaches can undermine trust in software asset management and expose organizations to compliance and operational risks. Given the widespread deployment of Cisco SSM On-Prem in enterprises globally, the threat surface is extensive. Attackers with insider access or stolen credentials could exploit this vulnerability to gain elevated privileges without needing to exploit more complex system flaws.

References

sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-cssm-priv-esc-xRAnOuO8 (opens in a new tab)

Community reviews

Loading reviews…

Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 1 Apr 2026, 18:54 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews

Related threats