SecPod

Learn Search

Search across all Learn content

← Back to Security Research
Critical Flaw in Cisco Smart Software Manager Allows Attackers to Control the Device

Critical Flaw in Cisco Smart Software Manager Allows Attackers to Control the Device

A critical vulnerability in the Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem (SSM On-prem) authentication system that allowed unauthenticated, remote attackers to change the password of any user, including that of administrators, has been fixed.

Jul 21, 2024By Sharath2 min read

A critical vulnerability in the Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem (SSM On-prem) authentication system that allowed unauthenticated, remote attackers to change the password of any user, including that of administrators, has been fixed.

The vulnerability, CVE-2024-20419, affects Cisco Smart Software Manager (SSM On-prem) and Cisco Manager Satellite (SSM Satellite). Both of these are the same products. Until the release of 7.0, SSM On-Prem software was called SSM Satellite.

Cisco has released software updates to address the vulnerability, as there are no workarounds.

The vulnerability is due to improper implementation of the password-change process. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. If the exploit is successful, the attacker gets access to the web UI or API with the privileges of the compromised user.

Customers are strongly advised to upgrade to the fixed software release to ensure their Smart Software Manager On-Prem installations are secured against any exploitation.

Instantly Fix Risks with SanerNow Patch Management

SanerNow patch management is a continuous, automated, and integrated software that instantly fixes risks exploited in the wild. The software supports major operating systems like Windows, Linux, and macOS, as well as 550+ third-party applications.

It also allows you to set up a safe testing area to test patches before deploying them in a primary production environment. SanerNow patch management additionally supports a patch rollback feature in case of patch failure or a system malfunction.

Experience the fastest and most accurate patching software here.

Featured Posts

Open CVE-2026-31431: From 732 Bytes to Root - Anatomy of a Modern Linux Privilege Escalation

CVE-2026-31431: From 732 Bytes to Root - Anatomy of a Modern Linux Privilege Escalation

CVE Research

CVE-2026-31431: From 732 Bytes to Root - Anatomy of a Modern Linux Privilege Escalation

Jun 24, 2026

Open CVE-2026-31431: The Nine-Year Kernel Bug Hiding in Plain Sight

CVE-2026-31431: The Nine-Year Kernel Bug Hiding in Plain Sight

CVE Research

CVE-2026-31431: The Nine-Year Kernel Bug Hiding in Plain Sight

Jun 23, 2026

Open Squidbleed: A 29-Year-Old Squid Proxy Flaw That Leaks Cleartext HTTP Requests
Squidbleed: A 29-Year-Old Squid Proxy Flaw That Leaks Cleartext HTTP Requests

CVE Research

Squidbleed: A 29-Year-Old Squid Proxy Flaw That Leaks Cleartext HTTP Requests

Jun 23, 2026

Open AryStinger Malware Leverages 4,300+ Legacy Routers to Establish Persistent Spy Infrastructure
AryStinger Malware Leverages 4,300+ Legacy Routers to Establish Persistent Spy Infrastructure

CVE Research

AryStinger Malware Leverages 4,300+ Legacy Routers to Establish Persistent Spy Infrastructure

AryStinger represents a calculated shift in IoT threat methodology, abandoning noisy, destructive payloads in favor of silent, long-term reconnaissance infrastructure. By exploiting unpatched, end-of-life routers and NAS devices through decade-old vulnerabilities, the threat operator has assembled a distributed fleet of over 4,300 Executor nodes capable of conducting parallelized DNS enumeration, port scanning, and service fingerprinting at scale, all while masking origin behind residential IP addresses. With active development ongoing and a potential operational timeline stretching back to 2024, AryStinger underscores a growing and underappreciated risk: forgotten edge hardware is not merely a compliance gap but exploitable infrastructure.

Jun 23, 2026

Critical Flaw in Cisco Smart Software Manager Allows Attackers to Cont | SecPod