Security Digest · Vulnerability record · Known exploited
CVE-2026-20245: Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output Vulnerability
Exploited in the wild (CISA KEV). 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…
CISA KEV · added 2026-06-09 CVSS 7.8 High EPSS 25.3% · p98
Should you act?
Exploited: patch now if you run it
CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.
- Yes, if you run Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager. CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-06-09, which means there is reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild. US federal agencies must remediate by 2026-06-23; treat that as the outer limit, not the target.
- EPSS 25.3%, percentile 98: FIRST’s model estimates a 25.3% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 98% of all scored CVEs (very high). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Needs local access needed. Lower urgency for most teams unless an attacker could already run code on the machine.
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.
CISA’s summary
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager formerly SD-WAN vManage contains an improper encoding or escaping of output vulnerability. This vulnerability could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute arbitrary commands as root by supplying a crafted file to the affected system.
Weakness type: CWE-116.
Product: Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager · Assigned by: cisco · Published: 2026-06-04
Affected and fixed versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions (per CVE record) |
|---|---|---|
| Cisco | Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller | 20.6.4, 20.9.2, 20.3.6, 20.7.2, 20.7.1, 20.5.1, 20.6.2, 19.3.0, 20.6.1, 17.2.4, 18.2.0, 18.4.6 |
| Cisco | 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 |
Severity scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| cisco | 3.1 | 7.8 High | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- Attack vector: local access needed
- Attack complexity: low
- Privileges required: low (any account)
- User interaction: none
- Scope: unchanged
CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.
Exploitation and urgency
- CISA KEV: added 2026-06-09; federal due date 2026-06-23. Known ransomware use: Unknown.
- 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.
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active, automatable no, technical impact total.
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 25.32% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 98.
Timeline
- — CVE record published by cisco
- — Added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
- — CISA remediation deadline for US federal agencies
- — CVE record last updated
Sources and references
Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.
Vendor and project advisories, patches
- Listed in CISA KEV notes (sec.cloudapps.cisco.com) sec.cloudapps.cisco.com
Vulnerability records
- CVE.org record CVE-2026-20245 cve.org
- NVD entry CVE-2026-20245 nvd.nist.gov
Government
Other references from the CVE record and advisory
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