CVE-2026-20182
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller Authentication Bypass Vulnerability
CVE-2026-20182: Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller Authentication Bypass Vulnerability. In CISA KEV since 2026-05-14. Critical advisory severity (CVSS 10, Cisco).
Compare the source-linked records below. Ratings and product/version details belong to each advisory; they are not a single CVE-wide score or proof that every listed product is affected. How VulniPulse collects and checks evidence.
CVE-2026-20182 at a glance
- CISA KEV
- Listed on · federal remediation due
- Highest advisory severity
- Critical
- CVSS base score
- 10 (Cisco)
- Fixed releases
- Cisco: 20.9.9.1, 20.12.7.1, 20.12.5.4, 20.15.5.2, 20.15.4.4, 20.161 and 2 more in the advisory
- Vendor advisories
- 2 from Cisco
- VulniPulse record
- Published · Updated
Scores, vectors, weaknesses and fixed releases are quoted from vendor advisories that cover only CVE-2026-20182; bulletin-wide values are not repeated here.
Is CVE-2026-20182 exploited?
Yes. CISA lists CVE-2026-20182 in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added ), which means CISA has evidence of exploitation in the wild.
How do I fix CVE-2026-20182?
Upgrade to a fixed release named by the vendor:
- Cisco: 20.9.9.1, 20.12.7.1, 20.12.5.4, 20.15.5.2, 20.15.4.4, 20.161
- 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. (Cisco)
CISA required action: Please adhere to CISA’s guidelines to assess exposure and mitigate risks associated with Cisco SD-WAN devices as outlined in CISA’s Emergency Directive 26-03 (URL listed below in Notes) and CISA’s Hunt & Hardening Guidance for Cisco SD-WAN Devices (URL listed below in Notes). Adhere to the applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are not available.
Vendor advisory comparison
Cisco
2 advisories- Advisory severityCritical10.0
Critical [CVE-2026-20182] Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller Authentication Bypass Vulnerability
cisco-sa-sdwan-rpa2-v69WY2SWSource published Source updated
May 2026: This security advisory provides the details and fix information for a vulnerability that was discovered and fixed after the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller Authentication Bypass Vulnerability was disclosed in February 2026. This new advisory is for a new vulnerability in the control connection handshaking. The Indicators of Compromise section of this advisory includes Show Control Connections guidance to help with system checks. 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…
- Related products — impact not confirmed
- Catalyst SD-WAN Manager
- Catalyst SD-WAN Controller
- Source-reported affected versions
- Scope: This vulnerability affects Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, and Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Validator, regardless of system configuration.
- Earlier than 20.91 — Migrate to a fixed release
- Release 20.9 (first fixed: 20.9.9.1)
- Release 20.10 (first fixed: 20.12.7.1)
9 more entries in the full advisory.
- Source-reported fixed versions
- 20.9.9.1
- 20.12.7.1
- 20.12.5.4
- 20.15.5.2
4 more entries in the full advisory.
- Mitigation guidance
- 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.
- Workarounds
- There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.
- Advisory severityHigh7.8
High [CVE-2026-20127 +2] Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller, Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, and Catalyst SD-WAN Validator Authenticated Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
cisco-sa-sdwan-privesc-4uxFrdzxSource published Source updated
This bulletin covers 3 CVEs. The products, versions, score and guidance below describe the bulletin; check its source for applicability to this specific CVE.
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. 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…
- Affected products in this advisory
- Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller
- Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager
- Source-reported affected versions
- Scope: This vulnerability affects Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, and Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Validator, regardless of device configuration.
- Release 20.9.9.1 and earlier (first fixed: 20.9.9.2)
- Release 20.12.7.1 and earlier (first fixed: 20.12.7.2)
- Release 20.15.4.4 and earlier (first fixed: 20.15.4.5)
3 more entries in the full advisory.
- Source-reported fixed versions
- 20.9.9.2
- 20.12.7.2
- 20.15.4.5
- 20.15.5.3
2 more entries in the full advisory.
- Mitigation guidance
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Workarounds
- 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.
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