CVE-2026-20128: Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager Storing Passwords in a Recoverable Format Vulnerability
Advisory generated from the CVE record, CISA, Exploit Observer and VEDAS: what it is, whether it is exploited, who is affected, and how to fix and detect it.
Generated by VEDAS. Scores as of 2026-11-01 19:19 UTC. Rebuilt every few hours from cve-scores, CISA KEV and vedas-signatures. How this works and its limits.
What it is
A vulnerability in the Data Collection Agent (DCA) feature of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to gain DCA user privileges on an affected system. This vulnerability is due to the presence of a credential file for the DCA user on an affected system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request and reading the file that contains the DCA password from that affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to access another affected system and gain DCA user privileges. Note: Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager releases 20.18 and later are not affected by this vulnerability.
Description quoted from the CVE record (assigned by cisco, published 2026-02-25).
Weakness: Storing Passwords in a Recoverable Format
How it can be exploited
Exploitable with local access with high attack complexity needing high privileges and no user interaction. Impact: confidentiality high, integrity high, availability high. CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
CISA assessment (SSVC): CISA assesses exploitation as active. Automatable: no. Technical impact: total.
- On CISA KEV since
- 2026-04-20
- US federal deadline
- 2026-04-23
- Ransomware use
- Not known
Public exploit evidence (Exploit Observer)
Also known as: BDU:2026-02320, EUVD-2026-8676, GHSA-mp6j-7g85-8pg2
Exploit Observer has no public exploit code that names this CVE or one of its aliases.
Vulnerability databases and vendor advisories (4)
Catalogue entries, not exploit evidence.
- Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/enisa/EUVD-2026-8676
- Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-mp6j-7g85-8pg2
- Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-20128
- Vulnerability database or vendor advisory: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-20128
5 more references returned by Exploit Observer did not name this CVE or an alias, so they are left out.
VEDAS data as of 2026-11-01T17:12 UTC; fetched 2026-11-02.
Live scores
- EPSS
- 0.073
some chance of attack soon - VEDAS
- 0.531
some exploit evidence - On CISA KEV
- Yes, since 2026-04-20
- Detection rule
- Out of scope (local)
Thin horizontal line: the “likely” (EPSS 0.10) or “strong” (VEDAS 0.90) threshold. Shaded “no data” areas are periods when cve-scores did not publish.
Who is affected
| Product | Affected | Not affected |
|---|---|---|
| Cisco Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager | version 20.1.12 version 19.2.1 version 18.4.4 version 18.4.5 version 20.1.1.1 version 20.1.1 version 19.3.0 version 19.2.2 and 128 more ranges | Not stated |
Version ranges exactly as the CVE record states them. “Before X” means X is the first fixed version.
Exploit Observer also maps it to: cisco catalyst_sd-wan_manager, cisco_systems,_inc. catalyst_sd-wan_manager.
How to fix it
CISA required action: Please adhere to CISA’s guidelines to assess exposure and mitigate risks associated with Cisco SD-WAN devices as outlines 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 guidance:
- https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/ed-26-03-mitigate-vulnerabilities-cisco-sd-wan-systems
- https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/supplemental-direction-ed-26-03-hunt-and-hardening-guidance-cisco-sd-wan-systems
- https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-sdwan-authbp-qwCX8D4v
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-20128
How to detect it
This bug needs local access to exploit. VEDAS signatures cover remotely exploitable bugs for now, so there is no network rule or remote check for it. Patch it and watch your endpoint telemetry for unusual local activity.
Advisories on this CVE
- Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN auth bypass (CVE-2026-20127, then CVE-2026-20122 / -20128 / -20182 / -20133) (14 May 2026)
References
Government sources
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-20128 (government-resource)
Other references
Other databases
Where this comes from
This advisory is generated automatically by VEDAS from: CVE.org record, CISA KEV, cve-scores (EPSS and VEDAS), Exploit Observer. Text in quotes is reproduced from the source; everything else is a fixed template filled with source fields. Nothing here is written by a language model. Check the vendor advisory before acting, and read how VEDAS and Exploit Observer work, and their limits.