CVE-2025-20377 Overview
CVE-2025-20377 is an information disclosure vulnerability in the API subsystem of Cisco Unified Intelligence Center (CUIC). The flaw allows an authenticated, remote attacker with low privileges to view restricted data by sending a crafted request to a specific API endpoint. The root cause is improper validation of requests to certain API endpoints, classified under [CWE-200] Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor. Exploitation requires valid user credentials on the affected system but no user interaction. Cisco published the issue in a consolidated security advisory covering multiple Contact Center vulnerabilities.
Critical Impact
A low-privileged authenticated user can retrieve sensitive information from CUIC that should be restricted, undermining role-based access controls in Cisco Contact Center deployments.
Affected Products
- Cisco Unified Intelligence Center (CUIC)
- Cisco Contact Center product family (see Cisco advisory for version specifics)
- Deployments exposing the CUIC API subsystem to authenticated users
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-11-05 - CVE-2025-20377 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-20377
Vulnerability Analysis
Cisco Unified Intelligence Center is the reporting and dashboard component of Cisco Contact Center solutions. It exposes REST APIs consumed by web clients and integrated services. CVE-2025-20377 exists because one or more API endpoints fail to properly validate incoming requests against the caller's authorization scope.
An authenticated user with a low-privilege role can invoke a specific endpoint and receive data that should be filtered based on role membership. The vulnerability affects only confidentiality; integrity and availability are not impacted. Because CUIC often stores reporting metadata, user identifiers, and configuration for contact center operations, disclosed data can support subsequent targeted attacks against agents, supervisors, or backend integrations.
Root Cause
The flaw stems from improper server-side validation of API requests. The endpoint honors the authenticated session but does not enforce authorization checks appropriate to the requested resource. This is a classic broken access control pattern where authentication is verified but role-based data filtering is not applied at the API layer.
Attack Vector
Exploitation occurs over the network against the CUIC management interface. The attacker must first obtain valid credentials, which can be any low-privileged CUIC account. The attacker then issues a standard HTTPS request to the vulnerable API endpoint. No social engineering, elevated privileges, or chained vulnerabilities are required. Cisco has not reported public exploitation, and no proof-of-concept code is currently available.
Refer to the Cisco Security Advisory: Multiple Vulnerabilities for endpoint-specific details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-20377
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual API request patterns from low-privileged CUIC accounts targeting reporting or configuration endpoints
- Repeated authenticated GET requests to CUIC API paths outside the user's normal role scope
- Response payloads containing dataset identifiers or user metadata not typically returned to standard operator roles
Detection Strategies
- Enable verbose API access logging on CUIC and correlate request paths with the authenticated user role
- Baseline normal API usage per role and alert on deviations, especially bulk read operations from non-administrative accounts
- Review web server and reverse-proxy logs fronting CUIC for anomalous query volumes or off-hours access
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward CUIC application, audit, and web logs to a centralized SIEM for retention and correlation
- Monitor authentication events for credential sharing, brute force, or dormant account reactivation that could precede exploitation
- Track privilege changes and new low-privileged account creation in CUIC identity stores
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-20377
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the fixed CUIC release identified in the Cisco advisory as soon as maintenance windows allow
- Audit CUIC user accounts and remove or disable unused low-privilege accounts that could be leveraged for exploitation
- Rotate credentials for any CUIC accounts suspected of compromise and enforce strong password policies
- Restrict network access to the CUIC management interface to trusted administrative networks
Patch Information
Cisco addresses CVE-2025-20377 in the security update documented in the Cisco Security Advisory: Multiple Vulnerabilities. Consult the Fixed Software section of that advisory for the specific CUIC versions containing the fix and follow Cisco's standard upgrade procedure for Contact Center components.
Workarounds
- Cisco has not published a workaround; apply the vendor patch to fully remediate the issue
- As compensating controls, limit CUIC access to authenticated administrators via network segmentation and firewall rules
- Enforce multi-factor authentication on identity providers integrated with CUIC to reduce credential abuse risk
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
