Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager Storing Passwords in a Recoverable Format Vulnerability
Cisco — Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager
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.
7.5
5.3%
Vector breakdown
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- High
- Privileges required
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- 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
- Published
- Feb 25, 2026
- Modified
- Apr 21, 2026
- Added to KEV
- Apr 20, 2026
- Federal patch due
- Apr 23, 2026
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.
Weakness classification
Proof-of-concept & exploitation references
Weaponization
Public repositories whose name or description references CVE-2026-20128, found via a live GitHub search at request time. These are community-sourced signals, not a verified working exploit - cross-check each one before relying on it, and treat higher star counts and recent activity as (weak) corroboration, not proof.
No public GitHub repositories referencing CVE-2026-20128 were found at last check. Absence here is not proof no exploit exists - see the references below for vendor advisories and write-ups.
References
Frequently asked questions
What is CVE-2026-20128?
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.
How severe is CVE-2026-20128?
CVE-2026-20128 has a CVSS base score of 7.5 out of 10 (CVSS 3.1).
Is CVE-2026-20128 actively exploited in the wild?
Yes. CVE-2026-20128 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added Apr 20, 2026, meaning CISA has confirmed evidence of active exploitation.
What is the EPSS score for CVE-2026-20128?
5.3% - meaning FIRST.org's EPSS model estimates a 5.3% probability this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within 30 days (92% percentile among all scored CVEs).
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2026-20128?
CVE-2026-20128 is classified under CWE-257 (Storing Passwords in a Recoverable Format).
Cross-checked against
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