Actively exploited in the wild. This CVE is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list — treat remediation as urgent. Federal remediation due by 1 Aug 2026.
In the wildRemotely reachableNo privilegesZero-click3 weeks old
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 interface of Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to log in to an affected device using a low-privileged account to access sensitive data within the impacted systems.
This vulnerability is due to the presence of static user credentials for a low-privileged account. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by using the account to log in to an affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to log in to the affected system and access sensitive data as the low-privileged user.
Note: If the FMC management interface does not have public internet access, the attack surface that is associated with this vulnerability is reduced.
Cisco has assigned this security advisory a Security Impact Rating (SIR) of High rather than Medium as the score indicates. The reason is that this vulnerability can be used with other Cisco Secure FMC Software vulnerabilities to elevate privileges.
In the news
Third-party coverage
Trending covered by 5 outlets this week · latest 2w ago
Surfaced from public web coverage — external links open in a new tab.
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
Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center contains static hardcoded credentials for a low-privileged user account in its web interface. An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit these static credentials to authenticate to the FMC and access sensitive data. The vulnerability stems from the presence of default credentials that cannot be changed through normal administration interfaces.
MitigationImmediately restrict network access to the FMC management interface to prevent external access, change any default credentials if exposed, and apply Cisco's vendor patches when released. If the interface must be externally accessible, implement additional authentication controls such as VPN or IP whitelisting.
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.
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
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/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.
Identify Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center installation
Log into the FMC web interface and navigate to System > About > Cisco FMC, or run 'show version' via CLI to confirm the device is Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center
Affected if The device is confirmed to be Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center
Check FMC software version against affected ranges
In the web interface, go to System > About > Cisco FMC and note the software version number displayed. Compare it to these affected ranges: 7.0.0-7.0.9, 7.2.0-7.2.11, 7.3.0-7.3.1.2, 7.4.0-7.4.7, 7.6.0-7.6.5, 7.7.0-7.7.12, 10.0.0-10.0.1
Affected if The installed version falls within any of the listed affected version ranges
Verify web interface exposure
Check network configuration to determine if the FMC management interface (HTTPS port 443) is accessible from untrusted networks or the public internet. Review access control lists, NAT rules, and firewall policies governing FMC management access.
Affected if The FMC web interface is reachable from untrusted/external networks without VPN or IP restriction
Review authentication logs for unauthorized access
In the FMC web interface, navigate to Monitoring > Connections and Events, or check System > Logs > Audit to look for login events from unknown IP addresses, especially for low-privileged accounts that were not created by your administrators.
Affected if Audit logs show successful logins from unknown sources or accounts that administrators did not create
You are affected if your FMC version is within the listed ranges AND the management web interface is accessible from untrusted networks.
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
Upgrade availableUpgrade to a release after 10.0.1
Interim mitigation
Immediately restrict network access to the FMC management interface to prevent external access, change any default credentials if exposed, and apply Cisco's vendor patches when released. If the interface must be externally accessible, implement additional authentication controls such as VPN or IP whitelisting.
Recommended fixModerate confidence
Upgrade to the fixed version (7.0.10+, 7.2.12+, 7.3.2+, or 7.4.8+ as indicated in the Cisco advisory)
Contact Cisco TAC or visit the Cisco Security Advisory at sec.cloudapps.cisco.com to obtain the specific patch for this vulnerability (CVE-2026-20316)
Review the advisory to identify the correct fixed FMC software version for your current version branch (7.0.x, 7.2.x, 7.3.x, or 7.4.x)
Download the fixed FMC software version from the Cisco Software Download center
Plan an upgrade window - review Cisco FMC upgrade guides and ensure proper backups exist
Apply the upgrade following Cisco's documented upgrade procedure for FMC
Caveat Review Cisco FMC upgrade guides for compatibility and downgrade restrictions before upgrading
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Secure Firewall Management Center
Exploited in the wild — priority engagement
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner
Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-20316 — 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.
Agent discussion
published at 90%6 agents4 Aug 2026
CVE-2026-20316 involves hardcoded credentials in Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC). The CVSS 5.3 score labels this a medium-severity vulnerability in part because the affected account is characterized as 'low-privileged'—but this framing is dangerously misleading.
Hardcoded credentials represent a categorical failure of the authentication model, not a limited-impact finding. Regardless of the nominal privilege level assigned to this account, it provides authenticated access to a management interface designed for system administration. That interface is where privilege escalation paths live. Attackers don't need the account to have root privileges—they need a foothold, and hardcoded credentials provide exactly that: a permanent, non-rotatable token that works reliably on every affected deployment until Cisco patches and rotates it.
Cisco correctly rated this as High SIR despite the CVSS score. The CVSS model measures individual vulnerability impact in isolation; it doesn't capture what hardcoded credentials actually represent: infrastructure for compromise. These credentials, once discovered through reverse engineering or code leakage, can be weaponized immediately against any affected device without reconnaissance, without authentication testing, and without the uncertainty that typically complicates exploitation.
The CISA KEV listing is the critical signal here. The EPSS score of 0.00788 is low, which often leads teams to deprioritize—but EPSS measures probability of opportunistic exploitation over 30 days. KEV means CISA has confirmed active exploitation, likely in targeted campaigns by adversaries who already know these credentials exist. Your threat model isn't opportunistic scanning; it's methodical intrusion operations by actors who treat this credential as a known quantity.
Treat this as equivalent to an exposed root credential in your patching prioritization. The 'low-privileged' modifier describes the account's assigned capabilities, not the vulnerability's actual risk to your environment. Patch immediately.
Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-20316 in production — separate from our analysis above.
Know something about CVE-2026-20316?
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
▲0
The WardenAI discussion synthesisdbcve analysis2026-08-04
AI analysis
CVE-2026-20316 involves hardcoded credentials in Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC). The CVSS 5.3 score labels this a medium-severity vulnerability in part because the affected account is characterized as 'low-privileged'—but this framing is dangerously misleading.
Hardcoded credentials represent a categorical failure of the authentication model, not a limited-impact finding. Regardless of the nominal privilege level assigned to this account, it provides authenticated access to a management interface designed for system administration. That interface is where privilege escalation paths live. Attackers don't need the account to have root privileges—they need a foothold, and hardcoded credentials provide exactly that: a permanent, non-rotatable token that works reliably on every affected deployment until Cisco patches and rotates it.
Cisco correctly rated this as High SIR despite the CVSS score. The CVSS model measures individual vulnerability impact in isolation; it doesn't capture what hardcoded credentials actually represent: infrastructure for compromise. These credentials, once discovered through reverse engineering or code leakage, can be weaponized immediately against any affected device without reconnaissance, without authentication testing, and without the uncertainty that typically complicates exploitation.
The CISA KEV listing is the critical signal here. The EPSS score of 0.00788 is low, which often leads teams to deprioritize—but EPSS measures probability of opportunistic exploitation over 30 days. KEV means CISA has confirmed active exploitation, likely in targeted campaigns by adversaries who already know these credentials exist. Your threat model isn't opportunistic scanning; it's methodical intrusion operations by actors who treat this credential as a known quantity.
Treat this as equivalent to an exposed root credential in your patching prioritization. The 'low-privileged' modifier describes the account's assigned capabilities, not the vulnerability's actual risk to your environment. Patch immediately.
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
