How severe is CVE-2019-16028?

CVE-2019-16028 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2019-16028 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (87th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2019-16028?

CVE-2019-16028 affects Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-16028?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2019-16028 published?

CVE-2019-16028 was published on 2020-09-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-16028

CVE-2019-16028 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-287.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 10.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (87th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-287
Affected product: Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center
Published: 2020-09-23
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass authentication and execute arbitrary actions with administrative privileges on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to improper handling of Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) authentication responses from an external authentication server. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to gain administrative access to the web-based management interface of the affected device.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-16028?: A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass authentication and execute arbitrary actions with administrative privileges on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to improper handling of Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) authentication responses from an external authentication server. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to gain administrative access to the web-based management interface of the affected device.
How severe is CVE-2019-16028?: CVE-2019-16028 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2019-16028 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (87th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-16028?: CVE-2019-16028 affects Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-16028?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2019-16028 published?: CVE-2019-16028 was published on 2020-09-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20200122-fmc-auth

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:cisco:secure_firewall_management_center:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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