NVD / CVE Program· CNA cisco

CVE-2026-20127: Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller Authentication Bypass Vulnerability

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Now (action score 97/100)

CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild (Feb 25, 2026). Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: Feb 27, 2026.
A ready-made attack module is public (Metasploit); exploiting it takes no special expertise.
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 89.2% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 99.7% of all records.
Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
According to CISA the attack is automatable: targets can be found by mass scanning.
According to the record, no fixed version is available yet.
Mentioned 1 time in Turkish national cyber security advisories (siberguvenlik.gov.tr).

Patch today or shut off access. Until a fix is released, restrict access to the affected component and follow the vendor's advisory.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · CISA KEV · FIRST EPSS

A vulnerability in the peering authentication in 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 unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass authentication and obtain administrative privileges on an affected system. This vulnerability exists because the peering authentication mechanism in an affected system is not working properly. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted requests to an affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to log in to an affected Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller as an internal, high-privileged, non-root user account. Using this account, the attacker could access NETCONF, which would then allow the attacker to manipulate network configuration for the SD-WAN fabric. 

CriticalCVSS 10.0 · v3.1KEVWeaponized No fix recorded

BDU:2026-02299

Published: Feb 25, 2026
Updated: Jun 17, 2026
EPSS: 89.2% · 99th percentile
CWE: CWE-287

Report tools

JSON

Action score

Now

Patch today or shut off access.

CVSS: 40 / 40 · 10.0 / 10
CISA KEV: 30 / 30 · Listed
EPSS: 27 / 30 · 89.2%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation: active
Automatable: yes
Technical impact: total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD: 10.0
CNA · cisco: 10.0; agree

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Actively exploited in the wild

CISA added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Feb 25, 2026. That signals real attacks, not theory.

Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: Feb 27, 2026.

Get told when this record changes

In CISA KEV: exploitation in the wild confirmed
Weaponized exploit exists
No fixed version yet

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

Vendor	Product	CPE
cisco	catalyst sd-wan manager	cpe:2.3:a:cisco:catalyst_sd-wan_manager
cisco	sd-wan vbond orchestrator	cpe:2.3:a:cisco:sd-wan_vbond_orchestrator
cisco	sd-wan vsmart controller	cpe:2.3:a:cisco:sd-wan_vsmart_controller

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

cisco catalyst sd-wan managerbefore 20.9.8.2
cisco catalyst sd-wan manager20.11 and later · before 20.12.5.3
cisco catalyst sd-wan manager20.13 and later · before 20.15.4.2
cisco catalyst sd-wan manager20.16 and later · before 20.18.2.1
cisco catalyst sd-wan manager20.12.6
cisco sd-wan vbond orchestratorbefore 20.9.8.2
cisco sd-wan vbond orchestrator20.11 and later · before 20.12.5.3
cisco sd-wan vbond orchestrator20.13 and later · before 20.15.4.2
cisco sd-wan vbond orchestrator20.16 and later · before 20.18.2.1
cisco sd-wan vbond orchestrator20.12.6
cisco sd-wan vsmart controllerbefore 20.9.8.2
cisco sd-wan vsmart controller20.11 and later · before 20.12.5.3
cisco sd-wan vsmart controller20.13 and later · before 20.15.4.2
cisco sd-wan vsmart controller20.16 and later · before 20.18.2.1
cisco sd-wan vsmart controller20.12.6

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (cisco). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

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 … (+28)affected

Same product

cisco: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

CVE-2026-20182Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller Authentication Bypass VulnerabilityKEV
98Now
CVE-2026-76504Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager System Account Authorization Bypass VulnerabilityKEV
81Now
CVE-2026-20245Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller Authenticated Privilege Escalation VulnerabilityKEV
69This week

Published before and after this one in the same product

← EarlierCVE-2026-20122Feb 25, 2026 · Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager Arbitrary File Overwrite VulnerabilityKEV
59Plan
← EarlierCVE-2026-20126Feb 25, 2026 · Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
31Monitor
Later →CVE-2026-20128Feb 25, 2026 · Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager Information Disclosure VulnerabilityKEV
62This week

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.

Exploit status

Weaponized

A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.

Evidence

Metasploit module ×1
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×9

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
Source	Kind	Date
Metasploit module	auxiliary/admin/networking/cisco_sdwan_auth_bypassCisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller Authentication Bypassauxiliary	2026-02-25
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub	stars:30	2026-03-04
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub	stars:0	2026-03-04
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub	stars:4	2026-03-05
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub	stars:2	2026-03-07
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub	stars:0	2026-03-08
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub	stars:24	2026-03-09
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub	stars:2	2026-04-15
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub	stars:0	2026-06-14
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub	stars:0	2026-07-12

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

MetasploitFeb 25, 2026-1 d
CISA KEVFeb 25, 2026-1 d
PublishedFeb 25, 2026
First PoCMar 4, 2026+6 d
TodayOct 27, 2026+244 d

EPSS, last 120 days+1% in 7 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

CVE-2026-2018278 days apartCisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller Authentication Bypass VulnerabilityKEV
98Now
CVE-2026-201290 days apartCisco Catayst SD-WAN Authentication Bypass Vulnerability
39Monitor

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

CVE-2026-2024599 days apartCisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller Authenticated Privilege Escalation VulnerabilityKEV
69This week
CVE-2026-20262110 days apartCisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager Arbitrary File Write VulnerabilityKEV
65This week
CVE-2026-2010828 days apartA vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to cond
21Monitor

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

National notice (Türkiye Cybersecurity Directorate / USOM)

Official security notices citing this record; remediation advice is on the agency's page.

TR-26-1371 · Oct 21, 2026- Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager Ayrıntılı Güvenlik Duyurusu (CVE-2026-76504)

All national notices →

Technical details

Attack conditions

Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
No account or password is required.
No user action is required.
No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality: high · data can be read
Integrity: high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability: high · the service can be disrupted

Impact can extend beyond the vulnerable component (scope changes).

Attack vector: Network
Attack complexity: Low
Privileges required: None
User interaction: None
Scope: Changed
Confidentiality impact: High
Integrity impact: High
Availability impact: High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-287 · Improper Authentication

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

nvd-primary

Root cause

Authentication is added route by route instead of being enforced in one place. When a route added later bypasses the shared middleware, the session check never runs for it.

The bug in code

The whole CWE-287 class

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

Vulnerable

1app.use("/admin", requireSession, adminRouter);
2

3// Route added later skips the middleware
4app.post("/admin-api/config", updateConfig);

Fixed

1const admin = express.Router();
2admin.use(requireSession, requireRole("admin"));
3

4admin.post("/config", updateConfig);
5app.use("/admin", admin);

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

Attack patterns (CAPEC)

ATT&CK techniques

Change log

No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.

References

sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-sdwan-rpa-EHchtZk

Show all references (1 more)

www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-20127

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records