Cisco SD-WAN Solution Software Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Vulnerability

A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Cisco SD-WAN Solution Software due to insufficient input validation [1]. The bug affects SD-WAN vBond Orchestrator Software, SD-WAN vEdge Routers, SD-WAN vManage Software, and SD-WAN vSmart Controller Software running software releases earlier than 18.3.0 [1]. An authenticated, local attacker with low privileges can trigger the flaw by sending a crafted request to an affected system, enabling unauthorized elevation to Administrator level on the underlying operating system [1].

Exploitation

To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have local access and valid authentication credentials on an affected Cisco SD-WAN device running a vulnerable software version [1]. The exploit requires sending a specially crafted request to the system, which is processed without proper input validation. No user interaction beyond the initial local access is needed, as the attacker can directly execute the exploit from a local shell or script [1].

Impact

A successful exploit grants the attacker full administrative privileges on the underlying operating system of the affected device [1]. This represents a complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as the attacker can execute arbitrary commands, install malicious software, alter configuration, and potentially pivot to other network segments from the compromised device. The privilege escalation is from a limited user to Administrator (root-equivalent) level [1].

Mitigation

Cisco has released software updates to address this vulnerability. Affected products should be upgraded to Cisco SD-WAN Solution Software release 18.3.0 or later [1]. No workarounds are available; patching is the only remediation. The vulnerability is fixed in the latest software releases and is not listed on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog as of publication [1].