CVE-2026-20017
Received Received - Intake
Command Injection in Cisco Secure FTD CLI Allows Root Execution

Publication date: 2026-03-04

Last updated on: 2026-03-04

Assigner: Cisco Systems, Inc.

Description
A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco Secure FTD Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system as root. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid administrative credentials on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation of user-supplied command arguments. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by submitting crafted input for a specific CLI command. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute commands on the underlying operating system as root.
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Meta Information
Published
2026-03-04
Last Modified
2026-03-04
Generated
2026-06-16
AI Q&A
2026-03-04
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-14
NVD
CVE-2026-20017
EUVD
EUVD-2026-9455
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
cisco secure_ftd_software *
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-250 The product performs an operation at a privilege level that is higher than the minimum level required, which creates new weaknesses or amplifies the consequences of other weaknesses.
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Executive Summary

This vulnerability exists in the command-line interface (CLI) of Cisco Secure FTD Software. It allows an authenticated local attacker, who already has valid administrative credentials, to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system with root privileges.

The root cause is insufficient input validation of user-supplied command arguments. By submitting specially crafted input to a specific CLI command, the attacker can exploit this flaw to run commands as the root user.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker with administrative access to gain full control over the affected device's operating system by executing arbitrary commands as root.

  • Compromise of system integrity and security.
  • Potential unauthorized access to sensitive data.
  • Disruption of device operations or network security functions.
Compliance Impact

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