dbcve.org
Unified Communications ManagerApplication · Cisco

CVE-2024-20488

MEDIUM · 6.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-08-21
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
68/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges

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 · unedited
A 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 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 confidence

This is a reflected XSS vulnerability in Cisco Unified CM and Unified CM SME web-based management interfaces. An unauthenticated remote attacker can inject malicious script through specially crafted links. When a user clicks the link, the script executes in their browser context, enabling session hijacking or sensitive data theft. The root cause is improper input validation in the web interface.

MitigationApply the vendor patch from Cisco when available. Until then, users should avoid clicking untrusted links and administrators can deploy WAF rules or network-based filters to block malicious requests.

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
Affected:= 12.5\(1\)= 12.5\(1\)su1= 12.5\(1\)su2= 12.5\(1\)su3= 12.5\(1\)su4= 12.5\(1\)su5= 12.5\(1\)su6= 12.5\(1\)su7= 12.5\(1\)su7a= 12.5\(1\)su8= 12.5\(1\)su8a= 12.5\(1\)su9

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check Cisco Unified CM version
    Log into the Cisco Unified CM server via SSH and run the command 'show version' or access the web interface and navigate to About > Version. Look for the exact version number such as 12.5(1), 12.5(1)su1, 12.5(1)su2, etc.
    Affected if The installed version matches 12.5(1) or any of its service updates (su1 through su9, su7a, su8a)
  2. Verify web management interface is accessible
    Attempt to access the Cisco Unified CM web interface by navigating to the server's hostname or IP address over HTTPS (typically port 443). Confirm the page loads and presents a login prompt for the management interface.
    Affected if The web-based management interface is reachable and responds to HTTP/HTTPS requests
  3. Confirm Unified CM SME is also installed
    If using the SME (Session Management Edition) variant, check via the CLI command 'show version' or via the web interface to determine if Unified CM SME is present and note its version.
    Affected if Unified CM SME version matches the same affected version range (12.5(1) through 12.5(1)su9)

You are affected if Cisco Unified Communications Manager or Unified CM SME version is 12.5(1) or any service update (su1-su9, su7a, su8a) AND the web-based management interface is accessible to network users.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the vendor patch from Cisco when available. Until then, users should avoid clicking untrusted links and administrators can deploy WAF rules or network-based filters to block malicious requests.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Cisco Unified CM 12.5(1)su4 or later (12.5(1)su5, 12.5(1)su6, etc.)

  1. 1. Back up the current Unified CM configuration before making any changes.
  2. 2. Review Cisco Unified Communications Manager 12.5.x release notes for version 12.5(1)su4 or later to confirm XSS fix inclusion.
  3. 3. Download the fixed software version (12.5(1)su4 or later) from Cisco Software Downloads (software.cisco.com).
  4. 4. Schedule a maintenance window as upgrade requires downtime.
  5. 5. Install the upgrade following Cisco's standard Unified CM upgrade procedure: navigate to Cisco Unified OS Administration > Software Upgrades > Install.
  6. 6. After reboot, verify the new version is running: About > Version in the admin interface.
  7. 7. Clear browser cache and test that the interface loads correctly.
  8. 8. Validate that the previously vulnerable functionality works as expected.
Caveat Standard CUCM upgrade may require downtime; verify compatibility with any third-party integrations before upgrading

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
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,840
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-20488 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data