CVE-2026-20127
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller and Manager Authentication Bypass Vulnerability
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller and Manager
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.
Exploitation status
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
Listed by CISA on 25 February 2026. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 27 February 2026.
EPSS — exploitation probability
FIRST puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 88.5%, which is higher than 99.8% of all scored vulnerabilities. EPSS is a forecast of activity, not a measure of severity, and it is rescored daily.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2026-20127 being exploited by ransomware groups?
No ransomware group in this database is currently recorded as exploiting CVE-2026-20127.
What does CVE-2026-20127 affect?
CVE-2026-20127 affects Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller and Manager. 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.
How severe is CVE-2026-20127?
CVE-2026-20127 is rated CRITICAL with a CVSS base score of 10. EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 88.5%, higher than 99.8% of all scored vulnerabilities. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a federal remediation deadline of 27 February 2026.
How should organisations respond to CVE-2026-20127?
Apply the vendor patch for Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller and Manager as the first priority, and treat any internet-facing instance as the most urgent. Because this vulnerability is associated with ransomware activity, also review whether the affected systems were reachable before patching, rather than assuming that patching alone closes the incident.