Catalyst Sd Wan ManagerApplication · Cisco
CVE-2023-20098
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedA vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco SDWAN vManage Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to delete arbitrary files. This vulnerability is due to improper filtering of directory traversal character sequences within system commands. An attacker with administrative privileges could exploit this vulnerability by running a system command containing directory traversal character sequences to target an arbitrary file. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to delete arbitrary files from the system, including files owned by root.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceThis is a directory traversal vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco SDWAN vManage Software that allows an authenticated attacker with administrative privileges to delete arbitrary files on the system. The vulnerability stems from improper filtering of directory traversal character sequences (such as '../') within system commands. An attacker can craft commands containing these sequences to target and delete files outside the intended directory, including root-owned files.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
Catalyst Sd Wan ManagerApplication
= 20.11
Sd Wan VmanageApplication
< 20.9.1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the product and versionRun 'show version' in the vManage CLI or check the vManage web UI under Administration > Settings > About for the software versionAffected if The product is Cisco SDWAN vManage or Cisco Catalyst SDWAN Manager
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Compare installed version to affected rangesCompare your installed version to the affected ranges: exactly 20.9, versions below 20.9.1, or exactly 20.11Affected if Installed version matches one of the affected ranges (20.9, < 20.9.1, or 20.11)
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Determine CLI administrative exposureCheck if CLI administrative access is enabled and accessible by reviewing user accounts with administrative privileges using 'show administrators' in the CLI or via the vManage web UIAffected if CLI administrative interface is enabled and accessible to users beyond trusted personnel
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Inspect CLI audit logs for exploitation signsReview CLI command logs or system audit logs for commands containing '../' sequences, unusual file deletion operations, or access to system directories outside the intended scopeAffected if Logs contain directory traversal patterns ('../') in CLI commands or unexpected file deletion events
You are affected if the installed version is Cisco SDWAN vManage 20.9, any version below 20.9.1, or version 20.11, and the CLI administrative interface is accessible to users.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped20.9.1
Apply the vendor patch from Cisco for this vulnerability. Until patched, strictly limit administrative CLI access to trusted personnel only and implement monitoring/audit logging for CLI command execution to detect exploitation attempts.
Upgrade to Cisco SD-WAN vManage version 20.9.1 or later (20.12+ recommended based on the fixed release pattern for version 20.11)
- 1. Identify the current version of Cisco SD-WAN vManage by running 'vmanage-show version' in the CLI
- 2. Access the Cisco Security Advisory at sec.cloudapps.cisco.com for CVE-2023-20098 to confirm the exact fixed release numbers
- 3. If running Catalyst SD-WAN Manager version 20.11, upgrade to the fixed release listed in the Cisco advisory (version 20.12 or later recommended based on the version pattern
- 4. If running SD-WAN vManage versions prior to 20.9.1, upgrade to version 20.9.1 or later as indicated in the advisory
- 5. Download the appropriate software image from Cisco.com or your authorized support channel
- 6. Execute the upgrade procedure according to Cisco SD-WAN upgrade documentation: upload the image, validate integrity, and apply the upgrade
- 7. After upgrade, verify the version using 'vmanage-show version' and confirm the vulnerability is resolved
- 8. Validate that administrative CLI commands with directory traversal sequences are now properly filtered and rejected
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Catalyst Sd Wan Manager
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,808.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-20098 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-20098 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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