CVE-2023-20266: Cisco Emergency Responder

High severity, CVSS 7.2. EPSS: 0.5% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

A vulnerability in Cisco Emergency Responder, Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Unified CM), Cisco Unified Communications Manager Session Management Edition (Unified CM SME), and Cisco Unity Connection could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to elevate privileges to root on an affected device. This vulnerability exists because the application does not properly restrict the files that are being used for upgrades. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by providing a crafted upgrade file. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to elevate privileges to root. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid platform administrator credentials on an affected device.

Affected products

• Cisco Emergency Responder: version 12.5.1su4 only; version 12.5.1su8a only; version 14su3 only
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager: version 12.5.1su8 only
• Cisco Unity Connection: version 12.5(1)su6 only; version 12.5(1)su7 only; version 12.5(1)su8 only; version 14su2 only; version 14su3 only

Published 2023-08-30. Last modified 2026-06-17.