CVE-2026-20245 in Catalyst SD-WAN Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 06/05/2026
A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, formerly SD-WAN vManage, 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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/05/2026
This vulnerability exists within the command line interface of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, formerly known as SD-WAN vManage, representing a critical security flaw that enables authenticated local attackers to achieve arbitrary command execution with root privileges. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the system's file upload functionality, creating a pathway for malicious code execution that bypasses normal security controls. The flaw specifically manifests when the system processes user-supplied files without proper sanitization or verification, allowing crafted payloads to be interpreted and executed with elevated privileges.
The technical exploitation requires an attacker to possess netadmin level credentials on the affected system, which provides sufficient access to upload malicious files through the CLI interface. This privilege level represents a significant operational risk since it allows users to make configuration changes to the entire SD-WAN infrastructure. The vulnerability classifies under CWE-74 as a "Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter. When successfully exploited, the vulnerability enables command injection attacks that can execute arbitrary system commands with root-level privileges, effectively compromising the entire management system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can result in complete system compromise and unauthorized modification of network configurations. Cisco has documented cases where exploitation led to configuration changes being propagated to edge devices throughout the SD-WAN fabric, potentially disrupting network operations and creating security vulnerabilities across the entire infrastructure. The attack vector requires local access with netadmin privileges, suggesting that the vulnerability could be exploited through credential compromise, privilege escalation from lower-privileged accounts, or by leveraging other initial access vectors that grant sufficient permissions to upload files through the CLI.
Organizations must implement immediate mitigation strategies including upgrading to the patched software version released on May 14, 2026, and conducting thorough verification of edge device configurations to ensure no unauthorized changes have occurred. Security teams should also implement monitoring for suspicious file upload activities and validate that proper access controls remain in place to prevent unauthorized users from obtaining netadmin privileges. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in management interfaces and highlights the potential for local privilege escalation to result in widespread infrastructure compromise. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and privilege least-privilege principles to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities in their SD-WAN environments.