Cisco Unified Contact Center Express Editor Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

TL;DR 📌

• A vulnerability in the file opening process of Cisco Unified Contact Center Express (Unified CCX) Editor could allow an unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insecure deserialization of Java objects by the affected software. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by persuading an authenticated, local user to open a crafted .aef…
• No fixed release listed yet; apply mitigations and monitor.
• Workarounds are documented in the advisory.
• CVEs: CVE-2025-20275.

What happened 🕵️‍♂️

A vulnerability in the file opening process of Cisco Unified Contact Center Express (Unified CCX) Editor could allow an unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code on an affected device.

This vulnerability is due to insecure deserialization of Java objects by the affected software. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by persuading an authenticated, local user to open a crafted .aef file. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the host that is running the editor application with the privileges of the user who launched it.

Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.

Affected products 🖥️

At the time of publication, this vulnerability affected Cisco Unified CCX Editor.

For information about which Cisco software releases were vulnerable at the time of publication, see the Fixed Software ["#fs"] section of this advisory. See the Details section in the bug ID(s) at the top of this advisory for the most complete and current information.

Fixed software 🔧

Upgrade to the first fixed release in your train (or later):

Workarounds 🧯

There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.

Risk in context 🎯

Use vendor CVSS for prioritization. Consider exposure and asset criticality.

Fast facts ⚡

• Advisory: cisco-sa-uccx-editor-rce-ezyYZte8
• Initial release: 2025-06-04T16:00:00 UTC
• Last updated: 2025-06-04T16:00:00 UTC

For leadership 🧭

Executive summary. Risk is Medium (CVSS 5.3) for Cisco, Cisco Unified Contact Center Express. Vendor fixes are available; prioritize upgrade within 30 days based on environment risk.

Why it matters (exposure drivers):

• Potential service impact and security exposure depend on deployment topology and access paths.
• Treat internet-exposed or multi-tenant management nodes as higher risk.
• Ensure monitoring for abnormal auth/config events until upgrades complete.

Remediation & timing:

• Upgrade to the first fixed release per the table above; schedule an approved change window within 30 days.
• Change risk: low-to-moderate (standard vendor patch). Validate backups and rollback plan.

Now / Next / Later:

• Now: Confirm exposure, identify affected versions, and enable monitoring/alerts.
• Next: Patch according to the fixed software table; verify service health post-change.
• Later: Add control checks to build pipeline/CMDB to block drift to vulnerable trains.