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Full vulnerability report · 2026
CVE-2026-20032High confidence

Cisco NX-OS Software Python Sandbox Escape Vulnerability

Cisco · Cisco NX-OS Software

Official source article: Cisco CISCO-SA-NXOS-MPPE-DHKZAFGB ↗. Check the applicable product and release in the original source.

4.4MediumCVSS 3.1
Recommended action
Patch only the product branches with a verified fix

Medium technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority. Verified remediation exists for at least one product or source, but 205 structured product or package states remain unresolved. Apply remediation only to the exact product branch confirmed by its source.

Fix availability varies by product
R
Operational reassessment

Published severity in operational context

Open reassessment dashboard →
Published severityMediumOperational priority:Low, lowered one band.downgradedsince 7 Oct 2026

Evidence used

  • No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
  • Exploitation requires an existing local or physical foothold with privileges.
  • EPSS is 0.11% for the current model date.

Compensating controls

  • Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
  • Restrict local access and enforce least privilege on affected hosts.
  • Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.

Verification

  1. Confirm that the asset runs Cisco Cisco NX-OS Software and falls inside the recorded affected range.
  2. Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
  3. Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
  4. Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Mitigation target: No default targetRemediation target: Normal maintenance

This automated reassessment organises public evidence. It does not know asset exposure, business impact or control effectiveness and does not replace CVSS or a human risk decision.

Cross-source reconciliation

Remediation availability differs by product scope

Verified remediation exists for at least one product or source, but 205 structured product or package states remain unresolved. Apply remediation only to the exact product branch confirmed by its source.

Direct vendor intelligence

Authoritative vendor CSAF and VEX advisories

Structured product status and remediation from the issuing vendor. Product-state explanations are always visible; large lists can be searched or downloaded.

1 current
cisco-sa-nxos-mppe-dhKZAFgb · CSAF 2.0 · revision 1.0.0 · finalCisco PSIRTCisco NX-OS Software Python Sandbox Escape Vulnerability
205 known affected

The vendor explicitly identifies these products as affected by this CVE.

  • Cisco NX-OS Software 8.1(1) when installed on Cisco MDS 9000 Multilayer Directors and Fabric Switches
  • Cisco NX-OS Software 8.1(1) when installed on Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches
  • Cisco NX-OS Software 8.2(1) when installed on Cisco MDS 9000 Multilayer Directors and Fabric Switches
  • Cisco NX-OS Software 8.2(1) when installed on Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches
  • Cisco NX-OS Software 7.3(2)D1(1) when installed on Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches
  • Cisco NX-OS Software 7.3(1)D1(1) when installed on Cisco MDS 9000 Multilayer Directors and Fabric Switches
  • Cisco NX-OS Software 7.3(1)D1(1) when installed on Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches
  • Cisco NX-OS Software 7.3(0)DX(1) when installed on Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches
  • Cisco NX-OS Software 7.3(0)D1(1) when installed on Cisco MDS 9000 Multilayer Directors and Fabric Switches
  • Cisco NX-OS Software 7.3(0)D1(1) when installed on Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches
  • Cisco NX-OS Software 7.3(1)DY(1) when installed on Cisco MDS 9000 Multilayer Directors and Fabric Switches
  • Cisco NX-OS Software 7.3(0)DY(1) when installed on Cisco MDS 9000 Multilayer Directors and Fabric Switches
Summary
Complete.
Remediation
Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability.
Optional official sources

National CERT insights
?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.

Choose official national sources for this report. Each advisory shows its original language. Your selection is remembered on this device and included in shared links.

Official European source

ENISA European Vulnerability Database

Official EUVD identifiers, advisory evidence and known-exploited context. Missing fields are not treated as evidence of low risk.

1 current
ENISA EUVD identifier

EUVD-2026-94447

No EUVD known-exploited evidence

A vulnerability in the Python interpreter of Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with low privileges to escape the Python sandbox and gain unauthorized access to the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by manipulating specific functions within the Python interpreter. A successful exploit could allow an attacker to escape the Python sandbox and execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system with the privileges of the authenticated user.

EUVD state
Present in the current official mapping
Known exploitation
Not present in the current ENISA EUVD known-exploited dataset. This is not proof of no exploitation.
ENISA score
4.4 · CVSS 3.1
Advisory evidence
No linked advisory details stored yet
Recommended actionPatch only the product branches with a verified fix

Medium technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority. Verified remediation exists for at least one product or source, but 205 structured product or package states remain unresolved. Apply remediation only to the exact product branch confirmed by its source.

Fix availability varies by product
01

What, why and how

A vulnerability in the Python interpreter of Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with low privileges to escape the Python sandbox and gain unauthorized access to the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by manipulating specific functions within the Python interpreter. A successful exploit could allow an attacker to escape the Python sandbox and execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system with the privileges of the authenticated user.

What

A vulnerability in the Python interpreter of Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with low privileges to escape the Python sandbox and gain unauthorized access to the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by manipulating specific functions within the Python interpreter. A successful exploit could allow an attacker to escape the Python sandbox and execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system with the privileges of the authenticated user.

Why

The product does not properly compartmentalize or isolate functionality, processes, or resources that require different privilege levels, rights, or permissions.

How

An attacker operating through local access may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may execute code or commands in the affected security context.

What

A vulnerability in the Python interpreter of Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with low privileges to escape the Python sandbox and gain unauthorized access to the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by manipulating specific functions within the Python interpreter. A successful exploit could allow an attacker to escape the Python sandbox and execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system with the privileges of the authenticated user.

Why

The product does not properly compartmentalize or isolate functionality, processes, or resources that require different privilege levels, rights, or permissions.

How

An attacker operating through local access may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may execute code or commands in the affected security context.

02

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
No confirmed evidence

No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.

Public PoC / exploit material
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
None recorded

No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.

Likely attack path
local access → Improper Isolation or Compartmentalization → execute code or commands in the affected security context
Attack surface
Local
Privileges required
Low: a basic authenticated account is required
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
Security boundary
Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
Weakness
?CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.
CWE-653 ↗

CWE-653: Improper Isolation or Compartmentalization. The product does not properly compartmentalize or isolate functionality, processes, or resources that require different privilege levels, rights, or permissions.

CVSS vector
?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.

AVLocalAttack vector: The attacker needs local access to the vulnerable system.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.PRLowPrivileges required: The attacker needs basic user-level privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CLowConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.ILowIntegrity impact: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.ANoneAvailability impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
After compromise, an attacker may use built-in shells, scripting engines, scheduled tasks and native network utilities for discovery, persistence or movement. This is a plausible LoTL path, not evidence that it has occurred for every attack.
Remote code executionCWE-653
A

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-94447Official EUVD mapping

A vulnerability in the Python interpreter of Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with low privileges to escape the Python sandbox and gain unauthorized access to the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by manipulating specific functions within the Python interpreter. A successful exploit could allow an attacker to escape the Python sandbox and execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system with the privileges of the authenticated user.

Official EUVD record ↗
NCSC-NL · Dutch · NCSC-2026-0406Kwetsbaarheden verholpen in Cisco NX-OS Software

A vulnerability in Cisco NX-OS Software's Python interpreter allows an authenticated local attacker with low privileges to escape the Python sandbox and execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system due to insufficient input validation.

Official advisory ↗
03

Patch and workaround

Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.

Status
?Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change.
Fix availability varies by product
Affected
Fixed
No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
Action
Use the product-specific evidence above. Patch only products with a verified fixed release, and keep every affected or under-investigation state without a matching fix in the remediation queue.
Workaround
No verified workaround is recorded. Limit untrusted access and use least privilege until authoritative guidance is available.
04

Evidence and provenance

Published 7 Oct 2026 · Last source change 7 Oct 2026, 19:23 UTC · CWE-653 · Improper Isolation or Compartmentalization

CVE recordCVE.org · 5.2
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source
?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.
FIRST · tracked since 2026-10-08
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-94447
Product sourceVendor CSAF · Cisco PSIRT
Remediation sourceVendor CSAF · Cisco PSIRT
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD received

Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates ↗
  1. ENISA EUVD mappingEUVD-2026-94447 was added to the official ENISA EUVD mapping for this CVE.
    Before
    not recorded
    After
    {"euvdId":"EUVD-2026-94447"}
    ENISA EUVD ↗
  2. Catalogue recordCVE added to the BlackTree catalogue.
    CNA ↗
  3. Remediation statusRemediation status changed from Awaiting fix to Mitigation available.
    Before
    Awaiting fix
    After
    Mitigation available
    Cisco PSIRT ↗
Material fields only · duplicate refreshes suppressed · history retained for the configured operational retention period
CVE published
Remediation guidance recorded
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-94447↗CVE authority or vendor reference · Cisco CISCO-SA-NXOS-MPPE-DHKZAFGB↗Official CVE record (CNA and ADP data)↗NVD record↗
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
CVE
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
CVSS
Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
EPSS
Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
CWE
Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
CNA
CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
CISA ADP
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
NVD
National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
CERT / CSIRT
A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
PoC
Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
CSAF
Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
LoTL
Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.
Free version - for non-commercial use only.CVE-2026-20032 · cve.blacktree.nl