9.8
CRITICAL CVSS 3.1
CVE-2026-20160
Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem Arbitrary Command Execution Vulnerability
Description

A vulnerability in Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem (SSM On-Prem) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system of an affected SSM On-Prem host. This vulnerability is due to the unintentional exposure of an internal service. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted request to the API of the exposed service. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute commands on the underlying operating system with root-level privileges.

INFO

Published Date :

April 1, 2026, 5:28 p.m.

Last Modified :

April 3, 2026, 4:11 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

Yes !
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-20160 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Cisco smart_software_manager_on-prem
CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 3.1 CRITICAL [email protected]
Solution
Exploit OS command execution by patching Cisco SSM On-Prem to remove internal service exposure.
  • Update Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem.
  • Ensure internal services are not exposed.
  • Restrict access to the SSM On-Prem host.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to CVE-2026-20160.

URL Resource
https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ssm-cli-execution-cHUcWuNr
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-20160 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-20160 weaknesses.

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2026-20160 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

  • Daily CyberSecurity
Public PoC and Technical Details Disclosed for Apache Syncope RCE

A new report from SecureLayer7 has unmasked a high-severity Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in Apache Syncope, a cornerstone of identity lifecycle management and access governance in many en ... Read more

Published Date: Apr 20, 2026 (1 day, 9 hours ago)
  • Daily CyberSecurity
HPE Aruba Patches High-Severity Credential Theft Flaw

HPE Aruba Networking has issued an important software update to address a high-severity security flaw in its Private 5G Core On-Prem Platform. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2026-23818, could allow ... Read more

Published Date: Apr 10, 2026 (1 week, 4 days ago)
  • Daily CyberSecurity
The MuPDF Vulnerability Turning “Safe” PDFs into System Hijackers

A significant security flaw has been unearthed in Artifex MuPDF, a popular framework prized for its speed and versatility in handling PDFs, XPS, and e-books. Labeled as CVE-2026-3308, this integer ove ... Read more

Published Date: Apr 03, 2026 (2 weeks, 4 days ago)
  • TheCyberThrone
Cisco Patches Two Critical and Six High-Severity Vulnerabilities

April 3, 2026Cisco shipped fixes for eight vulnerabilities on Wednesday — two rated critical and six high-severity — spanning multiple products including Integrated Management Controller (IMC), Smart ... Read more

Published Date: Apr 03, 2026 (2 weeks, 4 days ago)
  • The Hacker News
Cisco Patches 9.8 CVSS IMC and SSM Flaws Allowing Remote System Compromise

Cisco has released updates to address a critical security flaw in the Integrated Management Controller (IMC) that, if successfully exploited, could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass ... Read more

Published Date: Apr 02, 2026 (2 weeks, 5 days ago)
  • CybersecurityNews
Cisco Smart Software Manager Vulnerability Let Attackers Execute Arbitrary Commands

Cisco has issued an urgent security warning regarding a critical vulnerability in its Smart Software Manager On-Prem (SSM On-Prem) platform. Enterprise organizations widely use this tool to manage the ... Read more

Published Date: Apr 02, 2026 (2 weeks, 5 days ago)
  • Daily CyberSecurity
Cisco Issues Urgent Patch for Critical IMC Auth Bypass: A CVSS 9.8 Wake-Up Call

A newly discovered vulnerability has turned the Cisco Integrated Management Controller (IMC) into a potential backdoor. Tracked as CVE-2026-20093, this critical flaw carries a CVSS score of 9.8, signa ... Read more

Published Date: Apr 02, 2026 (2 weeks, 5 days ago)
  • Daily CyberSecurity
Critical 9.8 CVSS Flaw in Cisco SSM On-Prem Grants Unauthenticated Root Access

Cisco has recently dropped a high-stakes security advisory regarding a critical vulnerability in its Smart Software Manager On-Prem (SSM On-Prem). Labeled as CVE-2026-20160, this flaw carries a CVSS s ... Read more

Published Date: Apr 02, 2026 (2 weeks, 5 days ago)
  • Daily CyberSecurity
The Return of Operation Triangulation: Coruna Exploit Kit Targets M3 and A17 Chips in Massive iOS Offensive

Attack chain of Coruna | Image: Kaspersky Labs On March 4, 2026, reports from Google and iVerify shed light on Coruna, a highly sophisticated exploit kit targeting Apple iPhones. While such advanced t ... Read more

Published Date: Apr 02, 2026 (2 weeks, 5 days ago)

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-20160 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • New CVE Received by [email protected]

    Apr. 01, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Description A vulnerability in Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem (SSM On-Prem) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system of an affected SSM On-Prem host. This vulnerability is due to the unintentional exposure of an internal service. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted request to the API of the exposed service. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute commands on the underlying operating system with root-level privileges.
    Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    Added CWE CWE-668
    Added Reference https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ssm-cli-execution-cHUcWuNr
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.