CVE-2026-20245: Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output Vulnerability
Advisory generated from the CVE record, CISA, Exploit Observer and VEDAS: what it is, whether it is exploited, who is affected, and how to fix and detect it.
Generated by VEDAS. Scores as of 2026-11-01 19:19 UTC. Rebuilt every few hours from cve-scores, CISA KEV and vedas-signatures. How this works and its limits.
What it is
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.
Description quoted from the CVE record (assigned by cisco, published 2026-06-04).
Weakness: Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output
How it can be exploited
Exploitable with local access with low attack complexity needing low privileges and no user interaction. Impact: confidentiality high, integrity high, availability high. CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CISA assessment (SSVC): CISA assesses exploitation as active. Automatable: no. Technical impact: total.
- On CISA KEV since
- 2026-06-09
- US federal deadline
- 2026-06-23
- Ransomware use
- Not known
Public exploit evidence (Exploit Observer)
Also known as: BDU:2026-07857, EUVD-2026-34341, GHSA-h4c6-cm2m-h5f6
Exploit Observer links 2 pieces of public exploit code or detection modules that name this CVE or one of its aliases.
Exploit code and modules (2)
Code that names this CVE. A repository can be a working exploit, a scanner, a fake or malware; read it before running anything.
- Code repository: https://github.com/0xblackash/cve-2026-20245
- Code repository: https://github.com/fevar54/cve-2026-20245---cisco-sd-wan-privilege-escalation-exploit
Vulnerability databases and vendor advisories (4)
Catalogue entries, not exploit evidence.
- Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/enisa/EUVD-2026-34341
- Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-h4c6-cm2m-h5f6
- Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-20245
- Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-20245
6 more references returned by Exploit Observer did not name this CVE or an alias, so they are left out.
VEDAS data as of 2026-11-01T17:12 UTC; fetched 2026-11-02.
Live scores
- EPSS
- 0.253
likely to be attacked soon - VEDAS
- 0.567
some exploit evidence - On CISA KEV
- Yes, since 2026-06-09
- Detection rule
- Out of scope (local)
Thin horizontal line: the “likely” (EPSS 0.10) or “strong” (VEDAS 0.90) threshold. Shaded “no data” areas are periods when cve-scores did not publish.
Who is affected
| Product | Affected | Not affected |
|---|---|---|
| Cisco Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller | version 20.6.4 version 20.9.2 version 20.3.6 version 20.7.2 version 20.7.1 version 20.5.1 version 20.6.2 version 19.3.0 and 133 more ranges | Not stated |
| Cisco Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager | version 20.1.12 version 19.2.1 version 18.4.4 version 18.4.5 version 20.1.1.1 version 20.1.1 version 19.3.0 version 19.2.2 and 368 more ranges | Not stated |
Version ranges exactly as the CVE record states them. “Before X” means X is the first fixed version.
Exploit Observer also maps it to: cisco catalyst_sd-wan_manager, cisco sd-wan_vsmart_controller, cisco_systems,_inc. catalyst_sd-wan_manager.
How to fix it
CISA required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Vendor guidance:
- https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-sdwan-privesc-4uxFrdzx
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-20245
How to detect it
This bug needs local access to exploit. VEDAS signatures cover remotely exploitable bugs for now, so there is no network rule or remote check for it. Patch it and watch your endpoint telemetry for unusual local activity.
References
Government sources
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-20245 (government-resource)
Other references
- cisco-sa-sdwan-privesc-4uxFrdzx
- CVE-2026-20182</a> or <a href=”https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-sdwan-rpa-EHchtZk” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>CVE-2026-20127
Other databases
Where this comes from
This advisory is generated automatically by VEDAS from: CVE.org record, CISA KEV, cve-scores (EPSS and VEDAS), Exploit Observer. Text in quotes is reproduced from the source; everything else is a fixed template filled with source fields. Nothing here is written by a language model. Check the vendor advisory before acting, and read how VEDAS and Exploit Observer work, and their limits.