Unified Communications ManagerApplication · Cisco
CVE-2022-20788
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedA vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Unified CM), Cisco Unified CM Session Management Edition (Unified CM SME), and Cisco Unity Connection could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against a user of the interface. This vulnerability exists because the web-based management interface does not properly validate user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by persuading a user of the interface to click a crafted link. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary script code in the context of the affected interface or access sensitive browser-based information.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceCross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Cisco Unified CM, Unified CM SME, and Cisco Unity Connection web-based management interface due to improper validation of user-supplied input. An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this by tricking users into clicking crafted links, enabling arbitrary script execution in the browser context of the affected interface.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
Unified Communications ManagerApplication
>= 11.5\(1\), < 11.5\(1\)su11>= 12.5\(1\), < 12.5\(1\)su6>= 14.0, < 14su1
Unity ConnectionApplication
>= 12.5\(1\), < 12.5\(1\)su6>= 14.0, < 14su1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Cisco Unified CM versionLog into the Cisco Unified CM admin interface and navigate to About > Version, or run 'show version' via CLI on the serverAffected if The displayed version falls within these ranges: 11.5(1) through 11.5(1)su10, 12.5(1) through 12.5(1)su5, or 14.0 through 14su1
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Identify Cisco Unity Connection versionLog into the Cisco Unity Connection admin interface and navigate to About > Version, or run 'show version' via CLI on the serverAffected if The displayed version falls within these ranges: 12.5(1) through 12.5(1)su5, or 14.0 through 14su1
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Verify web-based management interface accessibilityConfirm that the Cisco Unified CM or Unity Connection web admin interface is reachable over HTTP/HTTPS on port 443 or 8443Affected if The web management interface is exposed and accessible to users or attackers on the network
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Check patch levelIn the admin interface, review the exact version string including the_SU suffix (e.g., 12.5(1)su6) to confirm whether the security update has been appliedAffected if The version shows no SU suffix or a suffix number lower than su11 for 11.5.x, su6 for 12.5.x, or su1 for 14.x
If the installed Cisco Unified CM or Unity Connection version falls within the affected ranges AND the web-based management interface is accessible, the environment is vulnerable to XSS via crafted links.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped11.512.514su1
Apply Cisco-provided patches for Unified CM, Unified CM SME, and Cisco Unity Connection. Users should be trained to avoid clicking untrusted links. Implement output encoding and input validation on affected interfaces.
Unified CM: 11.5(1)su11, 12.5(1)su6, or 14su1 | Unity Connection: 12.5(1)su6 or 14su1
- Identify the installed Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Unified CM) or Unity Connection version via the admin interface or CLI (file get install logs | include version)
- For Unified CM 11.5(1) versions: upgrade to 11.5(1)su11 or later
- For Unified CM 12.5(1) versions: upgrade to 12.5(1)su6 or later
- For Unified CM 14.0 versions: upgrade to 14su1 or later
- For Unity Connection 12.5(1) versions: upgrade to 12.5(1)su6 or later
- For Unity Connection 14.0 versions: upgrade to 14su1 or later
- Download the appropriate SU from Cisco.com Software Center (requires valid service contract)
- Follow Cisco's standard SU installation procedure: backup the system, then install the update via the CLI (utils system upgrade) or administration interface
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Unified Communications Manager
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,928.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-20788 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-20788 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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