CVE-2023-20214 in SD-WAN vManage
Summary
by MITRE • 08/04/2023
A vulnerability in the request authentication validation for the REST API of Cisco SD-WAN vManage software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to gain read permissions or limited write permissions to the configuration of an affected Cisco SD-WAN vManage instance.
This vulnerability is due to insufficient request validation when using the REST API feature. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted API request to an affected vManage instance. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to retrieve information from and send information to the configuration of the affected Cisco vManage instance. This vulnerability only affects the REST API and does not affect the web-based management interface or the CLI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/12/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical authentication bypass flaw in Cisco SD-WAN vManage software that undermines the security posture of network infrastructure management systems. The issue manifests as insufficient input validation within the REST API authentication mechanism, creating a pathway for unauthenticated remote attackers to access sensitive configuration data. The vulnerability specifically targets the application layer interface that governs how administrative commands are processed and validated, leaving the underlying network management platform exposed to unauthorized access attempts.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability relies on crafting malicious API requests that bypass the normal authentication checks implemented by the vManage system. Attackers can leverage this flaw to execute read operations against the configuration database and perform limited write actions, effectively granting them unauthorized access to network policies, device configurations, and other administrative data. This represents a classic example of insufficient validation or sanitization of input parameters, which falls under the CWE-20 category of "Improper Input Validation" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts and T1566.001 for spearphishing via email. The vulnerability affects the REST API endpoints specifically, which means that traditional web interface protections and command-line interface safeguards remain intact, but the API layer becomes a primary attack vector.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as attackers could potentially manipulate network configurations to disrupt services or establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. The ability to perform limited write operations increases the risk of configuration corruption or the introduction of malicious network policies that could affect traffic routing, security policies, or device management settings. Organizations relying on Cisco SD-WAN vManage for their network management may face significant security implications, including potential service disruption, unauthorized network access, and compromise of sensitive infrastructure data. The vulnerability affects the core management functionality of the platform, potentially allowing attackers to gain insights into network topology and security configurations that could be leveraged for further attacks.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch application from Cisco, which typically addresses the authentication validation gaps through proper input sanitization and enhanced API request validation. Network segmentation and access control measures can help limit the impact of potential exploitation by restricting direct access to the vManage REST API from untrusted networks. Implementing API rate limiting and monitoring for unusual request patterns can help detect exploitation attempts, while regular security audits of API endpoints should be conducted to identify similar validation flaws. Organizations should also consider implementing additional authentication layers and network monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access attempts to the affected system components, ensuring that the security controls align with industry standards such as those defined in NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 frameworks for secure configuration management and access control.