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Full vulnerability report · 2026
CVE-2026-20126High confidence

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Cisco · Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager

Official source article: Cisco CISCO-SA-SDWAN-AUTHBP-QWCX8D4V ↗. Check the applicable product and release in the original source.

8.8HighCVSS 3.1
Recommended action
Within 7 days

High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.

Fix not verified
R
Operational reassessment

Published severity in operational context

Open reassessment dashboard →
Published severityHighOperational priority:High, unchanged from published severity.unchanged

Evidence used

  • No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
  • EPSS is 0.33% for the current model date.

Compensating controls

  • Restrict the affected network interface to trusted sources where business-safe.
  • Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.

Verification

  1. Confirm that the asset runs Cisco Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager and falls inside the recorded affected range.
  2. Recheck the vendor advisory before scheduling a change because no verified fixed version is currently retained.
  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: Within 30 daysRemediation target: Within 180 days

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.

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-2026-8674

No EUVD known-exploited evidence

ENISA has published the identifier mapping but no EUVD description has been stored yet.

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
Not supplied in the stored EUVD record
Advisory evidence
No linked advisory details stored yet
Recommended actionWithin 7 days

High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.

Fix not verified
01

What, why and how

A vulnerability in Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager could allow an authenticated, local attacker with low privileges to gain root privileges on the underlying operating system. This vulnerability is due to an insufficient user authentication mechanism in the REST API. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a request to the REST API of the affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to gain root privileges on the underlying operating system.

What

A vulnerability in Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager could allow an authenticated, local attacker with low privileges to gain root privileges on the underlying operating system. This vulnerability is due to an insufficient user authentication mechanism in the REST API. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a request to the REST API of the affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to gain root privileges on the underlying operating system.

Why

The product does not conform to the API requirements for a function call that requires extra privileges. This could allow attackers to gain privileges by causing the function to be called incorrectly.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

What

A vulnerability in Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager could allow an authenticated, local attacker with low privileges to gain root privileges on the underlying operating system. This vulnerability is due to an insufficient user authentication mechanism in the REST API. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a request to the REST API of the affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to gain root privileges on the underlying operating system.

Why

The product does not conform to the API requirements for a function call that requires extra privileges. This could allow attackers to gain privileges by causing the function to be called incorrectly.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

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
a network path → Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
Attack surface
Network
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-648 ↗

CWE-648: Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs. The product does not conform to the API requirements for a function call that requires extra privileges. This could allow attackers to gain privileges by causing the function to be called incorrectly.

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

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

AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.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.CHighConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.IHighIntegrity impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.AHighAvailability impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
NetworkCWE-648
A

Official authority intelligence

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

BSI · German · WID-SEC-2026-0516Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager und SD-WAN Controller: Mehrere Schwachstellen

Ein entfernter, anonymer oder lokaler Angreifer kann mehrere Schwachstellen in Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager ausnutzen, um Administratorrechte zu erlangen, die Authentifizierung zu umgehen, Befehle mit Netadmin-Rechten auszuführen, sensible Systeminformationen zu lesen und beliebige Dateien auf dem System zu überschreiben.

Official advisory ↗
Cyber Security Agency of Singapore · English · CSA-SB-20260304Security Bulletin 4 Mar 2026

The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore included this CVE in its official Security Bulletin 4 Mar 2026, published on 4 March 2026. Open the linked bulletin for the product, severity and reference information published in that issue.

Official advisory ↗
CERT-FR · French · CERTFR-2026-AVI-0210Multiples vulnérabilités dans Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN

De multiples vulnérabilités ont été découvertes dans Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN. Certaines d'entre elles permettent à un attaquant de provoquer une exécution de code arbitraire à distance, une élévation de privilèges et une atteinte à la confidentialité des données. Cisco indique que la vulnérabilité CVE-2026-20127 est activement exploitée.

Official advisory ↗
JVN iPedia · Japanese · JVNDB-2026-006164シスコシステムズのCisco Catalyst SD-WAN Managerにおける特権 API の不適切な使用に関する脆弱性

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Managerの脆弱性により、認証された低権限のローカル攻撃者が基盤となるオペレーティングシステムでルート権限を取得できる可能性があります。この脆弱性はREST APIにおける不十分なユーザー認証メカニズムによって発生します。攻撃者は影響を受けるシステムのREST APIにリクエストを送信することで、この脆弱性を悪用可能です。攻撃が成功すると、攻撃者は基盤となるオペレーティングシステムでルート権限を取得します。

Official advisory ↗
KISA KrCERT/CC · Korean · KNVD-6714Cisco 제품 보안 업데이트 권고

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager에서 발생하는 권한 상승 취약점(CVE-2026-20126) [8][17]

Official advisory ↗
NCSC-NL · Dutch · NCSC-2026-0071Kwetsbaarheden verholpen in Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager

Multiple vulnerabilities in Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager's REST API allow authenticated local attackers with low privileges to escalate to root, access sensitive information, and overwrite arbitrary files on the underlying system.

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 not verified
Affected
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager: 20.1.12, 19.2.1, 18.4.4, 18.4.5, 20.1.1.1, 20.1.1, 19.3.0, 19.2.2, 19.2.099, 18.3.6, 18.3.7, 19.2.0, 18.3.8, 19.0.0, 19.1.0, 18.4.302, 18.4.303, 19.2.097, 19.2.098, 17.2.10, 18.3.6.1, 19.0.1a, 18.2.0, 18.4.3, 18.4.1, 17.2.8, 18.3.3.1, 18.4.0, 18.3.1, 17.2.6, 17.2.9, 18.3.4, 17.2.5, 18.3.1.1, 18.3.5, 18.4.0.1, 18.3.3, 17.2.7, 17.2.4, 18.3.0, 19.2.3, 18.4.501_ES, 20.3.1, 20.1.2, 19.2.929, 19.2.31, 20.3.2, 19.2.32, 20.3.2_925, 20.3.2.1, 20.3.2.1_927, 18.4.6, 20.1.2_937, 20.4.1, 20.3.2_928, 20.3.2_929, 20.4.1.0.1, 20.3.2.1_930, 19.2.4, 20.5.0.1.1, 20.4.1.1, 20.3.3, 19.2.4.0.1, 20.3.2_937, 20.3.3.1, 20.5.1, 20.1.3, 20.3.3.0.4, 20.3.3.1.2, 20.3.3.1.1, 20.4.1.2, 20.3.3.0.2, 20.4.1.1.5, 20.4.1.0.01, 20.4.1.0.02, 20.3.3.1.7, 20.3.3.1.5, 20.5.1.0.1, 20.3.3.1.10, 20.3.3.0.8, 20.4.2, 20.4.2.0.1, 20.3.4, 20.3.3.0.14, 19.2.4.0.8, 19.2.4.0.9, 20.3.4.0.1, 20.3.2.0.5, 20.6.1, 20.5.1.0.2, 20.3.3.0.17, 20.6.1.1, 20.6.0.18.3, 20.3.2.0.6, 20.6.0.18.4, 20.4.2.0.2, 20.3.3.0.16, 20.3.4.0.5, 20.6.1.0.1, 20.3.4.0.6, 20.6.2, 20.7.1EFT2, 20.3.4.0.9, 20.3.4.0.11, 20.4.2.0.4, 20.3.3.0.18, 20.7.1, 20.6.2.1, 20.3.4.1, 20.5.1.1, 20.4.2.1, 20.4.2.1.1, 20.3.4.1.1, 20.3.813, 20.3.4.0.19, 20.4.2.2.1, 20.5.1.2, 20.3.4.2, 20.3.814, 20.4.2.2, 20.6.2.2, 20.3.4.2.1, 20.7.1.1, 20.3.4.1.2, 20.6.2.2.2, 20.3.4.0.20, 20.6.2.2.3, 20.4.2.2.2, 20.3.5, 20.6.2.0.4, 20.4.2.2.3, 20.3.4.0.24, 20.6.2.2.7, 20.6.3, 20.3.4.2.2, 20.4.2.2.4, 20.7.1.0.2, 20.8.1, 20.3.5.0.8, 20.3.5.0.9, 20.4.2.2.8, 20.3.5.0.7, 20.6.3.0.7, 20.6.3.0.5, 20.6.3.0.10, 20.6.3.0.2, 20.7.2, 20.9.1EFT2, 20.6.3.0.11, 20.6.3.1, 20.6.3.0.14, 20.6.4, 20.9.1, 20.6.3.0.19, 20.6.3.0.18, 20.3.6, 20.9.1.1, 20.6.3.0.23, 20.6.4.0.4, 20.6.3.0.25, 20.6.5, 20.6.3.0.27, 20.9.2, 20.9.2.1, 20.6.3.0.29, 20.6.3.0.31, 20.6.3.0.32, 20.10.1, 20.6.3.0.33, 20.9.2.0.01, 20.9.1_LI_Images, 20.10.1_LI_Images, 20.9.2_LI_Images, 20.3.7, 20.9.3, 20.6.5.1, 20.11.1, 20.11.1_LI_Images, 20.9.3_LI_ Images, 20.6.3.1.1, 20.9.3.0.2, 20.6.5.1.2, 20.9.3.0.3, 20.4.2.3, 20.6.3.2, 20.6.4.1, 20.6.3.0.38, 20.6.3.0.39, 20.3.5.1, 20.3.4.3, 20.9.3.1, 20.3.3.2, 20.6.5.2, 20.3.7.1, 20.10.1.1, 20.6.5.2.1, 20.3.4.0.25, 20.6.2.2.4, 20.6.1.2, 20.11.1.1, 20.9.3.0.5, 20.3.4.0.26, 20.6.5.1.3, 20.6.3.0.40, 20.1.3.1, 20.9.2.2, 20.6.5.2.3, 20.6.5.1.4, 20.6.5.3, 20.6.3.0.41, 20.9.3.0.7, 20.6.5.1.5, 20.9.3.0.4, 20.6.4.0.19, 20.6.5.1.6, 20.9.3.0.8, 20.6.3.3, 20.3.7.2, 20.6.5.4, 20.6.5.1.7, 20.9.3.0.12, 20.6.4.2, 20.6.5.5, 20.9.3.2, 20.11.1.2, 20.6.3.4, 20.10.1.2, 20.6.5.1.9, 20.9.3.0.16, 20.6.3.0.45, 20.6.5.1.10, 20.9.3.0.17, 20.6.5.2.4, 20.6.4.0.21, 20.9.3.0.18, 20.6.3.0.46, 20.6.3.0.47, 20.9.2.3, 20.9.3.2_LI_Images, 20.9.3.0.21, 20.9.3.0.20, 20.9.4_LI_Images, 20.9.4, 20.6.5.1.11, 20.12.1, 20.12.1_LI_Images, 20.6.5.1.13, 20.9.3.0.23, 20.6.5.2.8, 20.9.4.1, 20.9.4.1_LI_Images, 20.9.3.0.25, 20.9.3.0.24, 20.6.5.1.14, 20.3.8, 20.6.6, 20.9.3.0.26, 20.6.3.0.51, 20.9.3.0.29, 20.12.2, 20.12.2_LI_Images, 20.6.6.0.1, 20.13.1_LI_Images, 20.9.4.0.4, 20.13.1, 20.9.4.1.1, 20.9.5, 20.9.5_LI_Images, 20.12.3_LI_Images, 20.12.3, 20.9.4.1.3, 20.6.7, 20.9.5.1, 20.9.5.1_LI_Images, 20.9.4.1.6, 20.14.1, 20.14.1_LI_Images, 20.9.5.2, 20.9.5.2.1, 20.9.5.2_LI_Images, 20.12.3.1, 20.12.4, 20.15.1_LI_Images, 20.15.1, 20.9.5.1.4, 20.9.5.2.7, 20.9.5.2.13, 20.9.6, 20.9.6_LI_Images, 20.9.5.2.14, 20.6.8, 20.12.4.0.03, 20.16.1, 20.16.1_LI_Images, 20.12.4_LI_Images, 20.9.5.2.16, 20.12.4.0.4, 20.12.401, 20.9.5.3, 20.9.5.3_LI_Images, 20.12.4.1_LI_Images, 20.12.4.1, 20.9.5.2.21, 20.9.6.0.3, 20.12.4.0.6, 20.15.2_LI_Images, 20.15.2, 20.12.4_Monthly_ES5, 20.12.5, 20.12.5_LI_Images, 20.9.7_LI _Images, 20.9.7, 20.15.3, 20.15.3_ LI _Images, 20.12.501, 20.12.5.1_LI_Images, 20.12.5.1, 20.12.5.2_LI_Images, 20.12.5.2, 20.15.3.1, 20.15.4_LI_Images, 20.15.4, 20.9.7.1_LI _Images, 20.9.7.1, 20.18.1, 20.18.1_LI_Images, 20.12.6_LI_Images, 20.12.6, 20.12.5.1.01, 20.9.8, 20.9.8_LI_Images, 20.18.2, 20.15.4.1_LI_Images, 20.15.4.1, 20.18.2_LI_Images
Fixed
No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
Action
No verified patch reference is present in the current structured sources. Check the vendor advisory before making a change.
Workaround
No verified workaround is recorded. If business-safe, reduce exposure to the affected interface and allow only trusted sources until authoritative guidance is available.
Official vendor articles1 stored document

Linked articles are downloaded and versioned as source evidence. A CVE mention or approved update relationship does not, by itself, verify a fix for every product branch.

  • Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Vulnerabilities →Original publisher ↗Searchable text snapshot · Captured 18 Oct 2026Home / Cisco Security / Security Advisories Cisco Security Advisory Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Vulnerabilities Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Vulnerabilities --> Cisco Security Advisory Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Vulnerabilities Critical Advisory ID: cisco-sa-sdwan-authbp-qwCX8D4v First Published: 2026 February 25 16:00 GMT Last Upd
04

Evidence and provenance

Published 25 Feb 2026 · Last source change 20 Mar 2026, 21:48 UTC · CWE-648 · Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs

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 2026-08-14
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-8674
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD enriched

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

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates ↗

No material field changes have been recorded since change tracking began. Routine source refreshes and cosmetic edits are intentionally excluded.

Material fields only · duplicate refreshes suppressed · history retained for the configured operational retention period
CVE published
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-8674↗CVE authority or vendor reference · Cisco CISCO-SA-SDWAN-AUTHBP-QWCX8D4V↗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-2026-20126 · cve.blacktree.nl