Cisco Unified Intelligence Center Vulnerability Allows Remote Attackers to Upload Arbitrary Files
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A critical vulnerability in Cisco\u2019s Unified Intelligence Center (CUIC) web-based management interface has been classified with high severity, allowing authenticated remote attackers with Report Designer privileges to upload arbitrary files to affected systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tracked as CVE-2025-20274 and assigned a CVSS Base Score of 6.3, the weakness stems from insufficient server-side validation of file uploads, enabling adversaries to store malicious payloads and execute arbitrary commands<\/a> at the root level on vulnerable appliances.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cisco published a Security Advisory on July 16, 2025, providing details, affected versions, and fixed releases, but noted that no effective workarounds exist.<\/p>\n The flaw resides in the file-upload handler of CUIC\u2019s management portal, which fails to properly verify the contents and metadata of files submitted by users authenticated with at least the Report Designer role.\u00a0<\/p>\n By exploiting this lapse, an attacker can craft a specially named archive or executable that bypasses extension checks and is written directly into the operating system\u2019s file structure.\u00a0<\/p>\n When processed by scheduled reporting tasks or administrative routines, these uploaded artifacts can be executed, granting the intruder arbitrary command execution.\u00a0<\/p>\n The issue is cataloged against CWE-434 (Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type), underscoring the risk of insecure file handling in web applications<\/a>.<\/p>\n Successful exploitation of this vulnerability allows escalation to root privileges, undermining the integrity of call-center analytics and potentially exposing sensitive customer interaction data.\u00a0<\/p>\n Organizations running CUIC as part of Packaged Contact Center Enterprise, Unified CCE, or embedded within Unified Contact Center Express should consider their exposure immediate and severe.\u00a0<\/p>\n An attacker who gains access to a Report Designer account often provisioned for Power Users or analytics teams can leverage the weakness to introduce backdoors, exfiltrate data archives, or pivot laterally into adjacent network segments.\u00a0<\/p>\n Given the absence of viable workarounds, detection relies on monitoring unexpected file system changes and anomalous process executions on CUIC appliances.<\/p>\nKey Takeaways<\/strong>
<\/mark>1. CUIC flaw lets Report Designers upload files and seize root access.
2. Weak server-side validation in the web interface.
3. All CUIC, Packaged\/Unified CCE, and UCCX installs exposed; no workaround.<\/pre>\nCUIC File Upload Vulnerability<\/strong><\/h2>\n