Unified Communications ManagerApplication · Cisco
CVE-2023-20010
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) and Cisco Unified Communications Manager Session Management Edition (Unified CM SME) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to conduct SQL injection attacks on an affected system. This vulnerability exists because the web-based management interface inadequately validates user input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the application as a low-privileged user and sending crafted SQL queries to an affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read or modify any data on the underlying database or elevate their privileges.
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 confidenceSQL injection vulnerability in Cisco Unified Communications Manager web-based management interface due to inadequate input validation. Authenticated attackers with low-privileged accounts can send crafted SQL queries to read/modify database data or elevate privileges.
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
< 12.5\(1\)su7>= 11.5\(1\), < 12.5\(1\)su7>= 14.0, < 14su2CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 Communications Manager versionAccess the CLI and run 'show version' or log into the web-based management interface and navigate to About > Version to retrieve the installed CUCM version numberAffected if The installed version falls within 11.5(1) to 12.5(1)su7 (exclusive), or 14.0 to 14su2 (exclusive)
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Confirm web-based management interface is enabledVerify that the Cisco Unified Communications Manager web interface is accessible and not disabled. Check via CLI with 'utils service list' or confirm web port 443/8443 is listeningAffected if The web-based management interface is accessible (required for exploitation)
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Review user accounts with accessLog into the web interface as an administrator and navigate to User Management > End Users or Administrator users to enumerate accounts. In CLI, use 'show user' commands to list enabled accountsAffected if There are authenticated user accounts present, especially low-privileged ones (attacker needs valid credentials)
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Verify network access to management interfaceDetermine if the web management interface is exposed to untrusted networks. Check firewall rules, ACLs, and interface bindings via CLI with 'show interface' or by reviewing access listsAffected if The management interface is reachable from untrusted networks (increases exposure risk)
A user is affected if they run a vulnerable CUCM version (11.5(1) through 12.5(1)su6, or 14.0 through 14su1) with the web-based management interface accessible to authenticated users.
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 · scoped12.514su2
Apply Cisco security patches when available; until then, restrict management interface access to authorized IPs only and ensure users follow least-privilege principles.
12.5(1)su7 for 12.5.x releases; 14su2 for 14.0.x releases
- 1. Identify the current version of Cisco Unified Communications Manager by checking the About page in the web-based management interface or running the 'show version' command via CLI
- 2. Determine the appropriate upgrade path: If running 12.5(x) series, upgrade to 12.5(1)su7 or later. If running 14.0(x) series, upgrade to 14su2 or later
- 3. Schedule a maintenance window as upgrades require system downtime
- 4. Perform a full system backup including the database and configuration using the Disaster Recovery System or CLI backup commands
- 5. Review Cisco upgrade documentation for your specific version path and ensure all prerequisites are met
- 6. Download the appropriate security update from Cisco (requires valid service contract)
- 7. Apply the upgrade via Cisco Unified Communications Operating System GUI or CLI, following the installation wizard
- 8. After upgrade completes, verify the version number matches the expected fixed release
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Unified Communications Manager
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing5.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,752.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-20010 — 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-2023-20010 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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