VulnerabilityPublished 25 Mar 2026

CVE-2026-20115: Cisco IOS XE Software · Cleartext Transmission

Affects Cisco IOS XE SoftwareSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.1 Medium.

Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 06:59 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

6.1Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 4% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: High
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Changed
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: High: A successful attack depends on conditions beyond the attacker's control. That is, a successful attack cannot be accomplished at will, but requires the attacker to invest in some measurable amount of effort in preparation or execution against the vulnerable component before a successful attack can be expected. For example, a successful attack may require an attacker to: gather knowledge about the environment in which the vulnerable target/component exists; prepare the target environment to improve exploit reliability; or inject themselves into the logical network path between the target and the resource requested by the victim in order to read and/or modify network communications (e.g., a man in the middle attack).
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
Scope: Changed: An exploited vulnerability can affect resources beyond the security scope managed by the security authority of the vulnerable component. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are different and managed by different security authorities.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 25 Mar 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 29 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
CiscoCisco IOS XE Software	Affected 17.14.1 – 17.18.1w 25 affected builds	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2026-20115, organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Ensure all communication between Cisco Meraki devices and the Meraki Dashboard is encrypted using secure protocols such as TLS 1.2 or higher, verifying that insecure tunnels are not used for configuration uploads. 2) Employ network segmentation and strict access controls to limit the possibility of on-path attacks, especially in environments where devices communicate over untrusted or public networks. 3) Monitor network traffic for signs of man-in-the-middle attacks, including unexpected certificate changes or anomalous traffic patterns between devices and management consoles. 4) Regularly update Cisco IOS XE software to the latest versions once patches addressing this vulnerability become available, as Cisco is likely to release fixes given the disclosure. 5) Use VPNs or other secure channels for remote device management to reduce exposure to interception. 6) Educate network administrators about the risks of insecure configuration uploads and enforce policies that prevent manual overrides to insecure communication settings. 7) Conduct periodic security assessments and penetration testing focused on network management traffic to identify and remediate potential interception points. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on securing the specific communication vector exploited by this vulnerability.

Description

A vulnerability in Cisco IOS XE Software for Cisco Meraki could allow a remote, unauthenticated attacker to view confidential device information. This vulnerability is due to a device configuration upload being performed over an insecure tunnel. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by conducting an on-path attack between the affected device and the Cisco Meraki Dashboard. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to view sensitive device configuration information.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2026-20115 is the compromise of confidentiality of sensitive device configuration information in Cisco Meraki devices running affected IOS XE versions. Exposure of such data can reveal network architecture, device credentials, and security settings, which attackers can leverage to escalate privileges, conduct lateral movement, or launch targeted attacks against the network. Although the vulnerability does not directly affect integrity or availability, the information disclosure can significantly weaken an organization's security posture. Organizations with extensive Cisco Meraki deployments, especially those relying on remote configuration management, are at risk. The requirement for an on-path attack means that attackers need network access to intercept traffic, which may be feasible in poorly segmented or public network environments. The medium severity rating indicates a moderate risk, but the potential for subsequent exploitation based on disclosed information elevates the overall threat. The lack of known exploits currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the need for proactive mitigation.

References

sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-iosxe_infodis-6J847uEB (opens in a new tab)

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 25 Mar 2026, 16:33 UTC

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