Cisco Security Advisory
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller, Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, and Catalyst SD-WAN Validator Authenticated Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
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CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:X/RL:X/RC:X
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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 CVE-2026-20182 or CVE-2026-20127. 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 Catalyst SD-WAN Security Advisory that was published on May 14, 2026, and verify the configuration of the edge devices.
Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.
Important: To preserve possible indicators of compromise, customers should issue the request admin-tech command from each of the control components in the SD-WAN deployment before upgrading. After the admin-tech file has been collected, software should be upgraded at the earliest opportunity.
Before upgrading an SD-WAN deployment to a fixed release, retain relevant logs. After upgrading, verify that the system has not been compromised by checking the logs for the indicators of compromise as documented in this advisory. If the logs show indicators of compromise and the system is confirmed to be compromised, applying the software update alone will not resolve the vulnerability. In such cases, follow the specific remediation steps that will be provided by the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) to help secure the system.
Live Protect Shield
Cisco has released a Live Protect shield for CVE-2026-20245 to provide temporary security coverage to allow time for software upgrade planning, including preserving any information that customers may require for governance or compliance purposes.
This shield offers only temporary partial protection. The only way to remediate this vulnerability is to upgrade to the first fixed software release, as noted in the Fixed Releases section of this advisory. Cisco strongly recommends prioritizing system upgrades and scheduling them as soon as possible to ensure remediation.
Before deploying the shield, read the following information:
- Before deploying this shield, set up disaster recovery operations, which have been tested to continue to operate. The new SD-WAN Disaster Recovery operations will not succeed after deployment of this shield. For more information, see https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/sdwan/configuration/ha-scaling/ios-xe-17/high-availability-book-xe/m-disaster-recovery.html.
- Before deploying this shield, establish any needed SD-WAN Manager clusters because these have been tested to continue to operate. Expanded and newly created SD-WAN Manager clusters will not succeed after deployment of this shield. For more information, see https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/sdwan/configuration/sdwan-xe-gs-book/manage-cluster.html.
- For more information about Live Protect for Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN, see https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/sdwan/26x-later/network-monitoring/network-monitoring-guide/live-protect-for-cisco-catalyst-sd-wan.html.
This advisory is available at the following link:
https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-sdwan-privesc-4uxFrdzx
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Vulnerable Products
This vulnerability affects Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, and Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Validator, regardless of device configuration.
This vulnerability affects all deployment types, including:
- On-Prem Deployment
- Cisco SD-WAN Cloud-Pro
- Cisco SD-WAN Cloud (Cisco Managed)
- Cisco SD-WAN for Government (FedRAMP)
For information about which Cisco software releases are vulnerable, see the Fixed Software section of this advisory.
Products Confirmed Not Vulnerable
Only products listed in the Vulnerable Products section of this advisory are known to be affected by this vulnerability.
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Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager systems that are exposed to the internet and that have ports exposed to the internet are at risk of exposure to compromise. In some instances, these indicators of compromise may occur during standard operations. Therefore, they must be assessed against normal network posture to identify and avoid false positives.
Customers are encouraged to audit the scripts.log file, located at /var/log/, for entries that are shown in the following examples:
Apr 15 09:44:57 vmanage vScript: Tenant list upload per vsmart serial number: /usr/bin/vconfd_script_upload_tenant_list.sh -cli path /home/admin/malicious.csv vpn 0
Jun 5 13:06:39 Manager vScript: vSmart upload serial numbers: /usr/bin/vconfd_script_upload_vsmart_serial_numbers.sh -cli path /home/admin/vsmart_serial_numbers_safe.csv
Jun 5 13:08:47 Validator vScript: ZTP upload chassis numbers: /usr/bin/vconfd_script_upload_chassis_number_file.sh -cli path /home/admin/chassis_numbers_safe.csv
Note: These are legitimate commands, and the logs will not distinguish between legitimate and malicious use. Customers who observe these logs and are uncertain about their origin or intent should contact the Cisco TAC for further assistance.
For help determining if a Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager has been compromised, customers may open a case with the Cisco TAC. Before opening a new Cisco TAC case, customers are encouraged to issue the request admin-tech command from each of the control components in the SD-WAN deployment so that the admin-tech file can be provided to the Cisco TAC for review. This should include any edge devices that may show recent unauthorized changes to configuration.
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There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.
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Cisco considers any workarounds and mitigations (if applicable) to be temporary solutions until an upgrade to a fixed software release is available. To fully remediate this vulnerability and avoid future exposure as described in this advisory, Cisco strongly recommends that customers upgrade to the fixed software indicated in this advisory.
Customers who need additional information are advised to contact the Cisco TAC or their contracted maintenance providers.
Fixed Releases
In the following table, the left column lists Cisco software releases. The right column indicates whether a release is affected by the vulnerability that is described in this advisory and the first release that includes the fix for this vulnerability. Customers are advised to upgrade to an appropriate fixed software release as indicated in this section.
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Release First Fixed Release 20.9.9.1 and earlier 20.9.9.2 20.12.7.1 and earlier 20.12.7.2 20.15.4.4 and earlier 20.15.4.5 20.15.5.2 and earlier 20.15.5.3 20.18.3 20.18.3.1 26.1.1.1 and earlier 26.1.1.2 The Cisco Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) validates only the affected and fixed release information that is documented in this advisory.
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In June 2026, the Cisco PSIRT became aware of exploitation of this vulnerability.
To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must have netadmin privileges on an affected system. This would require valid credentials or exploitation of CVE-2026-20182 or CVE-2026-20127. Cisco is not aware of successful exploitation by other methods.
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Cisco would like to thank Chester Sng, Pete Boonyakarn, and Logeswaran Nadarajan of Mandiant, a division of Google Cloud, for reporting this vulnerability.
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To learn about Cisco security vulnerability disclosure policies and publications, see the Security Vulnerability Policy. This document also contains instructions for obtaining fixed software and receiving security vulnerability information from Cisco.
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Show LessVersion Description Section Status Date 1.9 Updated summary to add Live Protect shield availability. Summary Final 2026-JUL-15 1.8 Updated fixed release table with Releases 20.9.9.2 and 20.12.7.2. Changed advisory status from interim to final. Header, Summary, Fixed Releases Final 2026-JUN-12 1.7 Updated fixed release table with Releases 20.15.4.5 and 20.15.5.3. Fixed Releases Interim 2026-JUN-11 1.6 Updated fixed release table for Release 26.1.1.1. Fixed Releases Interim 2026-JUN-10 1.5 Updated fixed release table to include additional affected trains and fix availability for Release 26.1.1.2. Fixed Releases Interim 2026-JUN-10 1.4 Updated affected products and fixed releases. Title, Summary, Affected Products, Fixed Releases Interim 2026-JUN-09 1.3 Updated to specify that Mandiant is a division of Google Cloud. Source Interim 2026-JUN-08 1.2 Updated indicators of compromise. Indicators of Compromise Interim 2026-JUN-05 1.1 Updated source to include researchers. Source Interim 2026-JUN-05 1.0 Initial public release. - Interim 2026-JUN-04
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SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT
The Cisco Support and Downloads page on Cisco.com provides information about licensing and downloads. This page can also display customer device support coverage for customers who use the My Devices tool. Please note that customers may download only software that was procured from Cisco directly or through a Cisco authorized reseller or partner and for which the license is still valid.
Customers who purchase directly from Cisco but do not hold a Cisco service contract and customers who make purchases through third-party vendors but are unsuccessful in obtaining fixed software through their point of sale should obtain upgrades by contacting the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC). Customers should have the product serial number available and be prepared to provide the URL of this advisory as evidence of entitlement to a free upgrade.
When considering software upgrades, customers are advised to regularly consult the advisories for the relevant Cisco products to determine exposure and a complete upgrade solution. In all cases, customers should ensure that the devices to be upgraded contain sufficient memory and confirm that current hardware and software configurations will continue to be supported properly by the new release. If the information is not clear, customers are advised to contact the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) or their contracted maintenance providers.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER DETAILS
CISCO DOES NOT MAKE ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR USE. WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, CISCO DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THIS INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS. YOUR USE OF THE INFORMATION ON THE DOCUMENT OR MATERIALS LINKED FROM THE DOCUMENT IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. CISCO RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE OR UPDATE THIS DOCUMENT AT ANY TIME.
Copies or summaries of the information contained in this Security Advisory may lack important information or contain factual errors. Customers are advised to visit the Cisco Security Advisories page for the most recent version of this Security Advisory. The Cisco Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) assesses only the affected and fixed release information that is documented in this advisory. See the Cisco Security Vulnerability Policy for more information.