Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager is affected by a high-severity vulnerability (CVE-2026-20245) that is confirmed to be actively exploited in the wild. Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
What is this vulnerability?
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.
How it works
This is classified as CWE-116. In plain terms, an attacker could use this flaw in Catalyst SD-WAN Manager to gain access, disrupt service, or steal data — the exact impact depends on how it’s deployed in your environment.
CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Mitigations
- Apply the vendor’s security patch or update as soon as it’s available and tested.
- If no patch exists yet, apply the vendor’s temporary workaround.
- Limit network exposure of the affected system until it’s patched.
- Review logs for signs of prior exploitation, especially if it’s flagged for ransomware use.
Recommendations
- Confirm whether Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager is used anywhere in your environment.
- Patch internet-facing systems first, then internal ones.
- Set a reminder ahead of the remediation deadline so it doesn’t slip.
- Subscribe to the vendor’s security advisories for earlier warning next time.
Compiled from public threat intelligence (CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog and the National Vulnerability Database, referenced in 3 public advisories).