CVE-2025-20374 Overview
Cisco disclosed a directory traversal vulnerability in the web UI of Cisco Unified Contact Center Express (Unified CCX). An authenticated remote attacker with valid administrative credentials can access arbitrary files on the underlying operating system by sending crafted requests to the web interface. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation in specific UI features and is tracked under CWE-22: Path Traversal. Cisco published details in the Cisco Security Advisory covering multiple contact center flaws.
Critical Impact
An authenticated administrator can read arbitrary files on the underlying operating system, exposing configuration data, credentials, and sensitive application resources.
Affected Products
- Cisco Unified Contact Center Express (Unified CCX)
- Cisco Unified Contact Center Express version 15.0
- Prior unpatched releases of Cisco Unified CCX as listed in the vendor advisory
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-11-05 - CVE-2025-20374 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-20374
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the web management interface of Cisco Unified CCX. Specific UI features accept user-supplied input that references file paths without adequate normalization or validation. An attacker who submits path traversal sequences can escape the intended directory and read files anywhere the web application process has read permissions.
Exploitation requires authentication with valid administrative credentials, which raises the bar for external attackers. However, administrative accounts are frequently targeted through phishing, credential reuse, and lateral movement. Once the attacker gains admin access, the flaw yields confidentiality impact on the host operating system without requiring further privilege escalation.
The issue does not affect integrity or availability. Files exposed through this traversal may include application configuration files, connection strings, key material, and logs. These resources often enable follow-on attacks against connected systems such as CRM integrations, databases, and telephony platforms.
Root Cause
The root cause is insufficient input validation of parameters that are subsequently used in file path operations. The vulnerable UI handlers concatenate untrusted input into file paths without canonicalizing the result or restricting access to an approved directory allowlist.
Attack Vector
Exploitation occurs over the network against the Unified CCX web UI. The attacker authenticates using administrative credentials, then issues a crafted HTTP request containing directory traversal sequences (such as ../) in a vulnerable parameter. The server resolves the path outside the intended directory and returns file contents to the attacker.
No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. Refer to the Cisco Security Advisory for vendor-supplied technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-20374
Indicators of Compromise
- HTTP requests to Unified CCX web UI endpoints containing encoded or literal traversal sequences such as ../, ..%2f, or ..%5c
- Web server access logs showing administrative sessions retrieving unusual file paths outside expected application directories
- Unexpected read access to sensitive OS files such as /etc/passwd, application configuration files, or credential stores
Detection Strategies
- Inspect Unified CCX web UI request logs for parameters containing path traversal patterns and directory separators
- Correlate administrative logins with subsequent file-access anomalies to surface abuse of legitimate credentials
- Deploy web application firewall rules that identify and block traversal signatures against the Unified CCX management interface
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward Unified CCX web UI and application logs to a centralized SIEM for retention and query
- Alert on administrative account activity originating from unexpected source addresses or outside normal business hours
- Monitor file integrity and read-access telemetry on the Unified CCX host for access to files outside the application scope
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-20374
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the fixed software release identified in the Cisco Security Advisory
- Restrict access to the Unified CCX web UI to trusted management networks and administrative jump hosts
- Rotate administrative credentials and audit all accounts with administrative roles on Unified CCX
- Review web UI and system logs for evidence of exploitation before patching
Patch Information
Cisco has released fixed software addressing this vulnerability. Consult the vendor advisory cisco-sa-cc-mult-vuln-gK4TFXSn for the specific fixed release train and upgrade guidance for your deployment. No official workarounds are listed by Cisco; upgrading is the required remediation.
Workarounds
- No vendor-approved workaround is available; upgrade to a fixed release
- Enforce network segmentation and access control lists to limit reachability of the management interface
- Require multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts to reduce credential compromise risk
# Example: restrict access to Unified CCX web UI via upstream ACL
# Replace with your management subnet and appliance address
access-list 110 permit tcp 10.10.20.0 0.0.0.255 host 10.20.30.40 eq 443
access-list 110 deny tcp any host 10.20.30.40 eq 443
access-list 110 permit ip any any
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
