CVE-2026-20245: Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output in Cisco Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller
A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller, formerly SD-WAN vSmart, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, formerly SD-WAN vManage, and Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Validator, formerly SD-WAN vBond, could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute arbitrary commands as root by supplying a crafted file to the affected system. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by uploading a crafted file to the affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to perform command injection attacks on an affected system and elevate their privileges as the root user. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have netadmin privileges on the affected system. This would require valid credentials or exploitation of or . Cisco is not aware of successful exploitation by other methods. Cisco has observed limited cases where the exploitation of this bug resulted in a configuration change pushed to edge devices. Cisco recommends that customers upgrade to the fixed software that is documented in the that was published on May 14, 2026, and verify the configuration of the edge devices.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
This vulnerability affects the CLI components of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller (formerly SD-WAN vSmart), Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager (formerly SD-WAN vManage), and Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Validator (formerly SD-WAN vBond). It is caused by improper encoding or escaping of output, leading to insufficient validation of user input. An attacker with netadmin privileges can exploit this by uploading a crafted file, resulting in command injection and root privilege escalation. Cisco has not observed exploitation via other methods and notes limited cases of exploitation affecting edge device configurations. Cisco recommends upgrading to fixed software versions released on May 14, 2026.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows an authenticated local attacker with netadmin privileges to execute arbitrary commands as root on the affected system, leading to full system compromise. This includes the ability to change configurations pushed to edge devices, potentially impacting network operations and security. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8 (high), reflecting high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.
Mitigation Recommendations
Cisco has released fixed software versions documented in their advisory published on May 14, 2026. Users should upgrade to these fixed versions to remediate the vulnerability. Additionally, verify the configuration of edge devices to ensure no unauthorized changes occurred. No other mitigation or workaround is specified. Patch status is not explicitly stated in the provided data, so users should consult the official Cisco advisory for detailed remediation instructions.
CVE-2026-20245: Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output in Cisco Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller
Description
A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller, formerly SD-WAN vSmart, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, formerly SD-WAN vManage, and Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Validator, formerly SD-WAN vBond, could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute arbitrary commands as root by supplying a crafted file to the affected system. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by uploading a crafted file to the affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to perform command injection attacks on an affected system and elevate their privileges as the root user. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have netadmin privileges on the affected system. This would require valid credentials or exploitation of or . Cisco is not aware of successful exploitation by other methods. Cisco has observed limited cases where the exploitation of this bug resulted in a configuration change pushed to edge devices. Cisco recommends that customers upgrade to the fixed software that is documented in the that was published on May 14, 2026, and verify the configuration of the edge devices.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.8high
Affected software
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
This vulnerability affects the CLI components of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller (formerly SD-WAN vSmart), Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager (formerly SD-WAN vManage), and Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Validator (formerly SD-WAN vBond). It is caused by improper encoding or escaping of output, leading to insufficient validation of user input. An attacker with netadmin privileges can exploit this by uploading a crafted file, resulting in command injection and root privilege escalation. Cisco has not observed exploitation via other methods and notes limited cases of exploitation affecting edge device configurations. Cisco recommends upgrading to fixed software versions released on May 14, 2026.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows an authenticated local attacker with netadmin privileges to execute arbitrary commands as root on the affected system, leading to full system compromise. This includes the ability to change configurations pushed to edge devices, potentially impacting network operations and security. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8 (high), reflecting high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.
Mitigation Recommendations
Cisco has released fixed software versions documented in their advisory published on May 14, 2026. Users should upgrade to these fixed versions to remediate the vulnerability. Additionally, verify the configuration of edge devices to ensure no unauthorized changes occurred. No other mitigation or workaround is specified. Patch status is not explicitly stated in the provided data, so users should consult the official Cisco advisory for detailed remediation instructions.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- cisco
- Date Reserved
- 2025-10-08T11:59:15.400Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a2200c5e29bf47b50d9ecdd
Added to database: 06/04/2026, 22:48:37 UTC
Last enriched: 07/21/2026, 17:38:43 UTC
Last updated: 07/31/2026, 19:22:57 UTC
Views: 175
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