CVE-2026-20224 is an XML External Entity (XXE) injection vulnerability in the web UI of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, formerly SD-WAN vManage. The flaw is caused by improper handling of XML external entity declarations while parsing XML input. A remote attacker can send a crafted XML-based request to the affected web interface and, without authentication or valid credentials, cause the application to resolve attacker-controlled external entities. Successful exploitation allows disclosure of arbitrary files stored on the underlying system. The available information indicates confidentiality impact only; no direct integrity or availability impact is described.
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What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.
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1 valid exploit after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos.
Repository is a small standalone PoC for CVE-2026-20224 targeting Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager. The main exploit logic is in a single Python script, 'Cisco Catalyst.py', supported by a malicious DTD file ('xxe.dtd'), a usage example file, expected output sample, affected versions list, and README. The Python script uses requests, argparse, urllib3, and colorama to send crafted XML payloads to multiple likely Cisco /dataservice endpoints over HTTP or HTTPS. It supports two exploitation modes: in-band XXE arbitrary file read, where file contents may be reflected in the HTTP response, and blind XXE with out-of-band exfiltration via an attacker-controlled callback server hosting /xxe.dtd. The script iterates through several candidate upload/import/restore endpoints, checks responses for indicators such as passwd content, and can save returned data locally. It also includes a curated list of sensitive target files specific to Linux and Cisco vManage/SD-WAN Manager deployments, including configuration files, logs, database files, certificates, and SSH material. Overall, this is an operational exploit PoC for unauthenticated web-based arbitrary file read, not merely a detector.
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Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.
14 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
Уязвимость XXE в Cisco SD-WAN Manager, позволяющая без аутентификации читать произвольные файлы через некорректную обработку XML-сущностей.
An information disclosure vulnerability affecting Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager.
An unauthenticated arbitrary file-read vulnerability in the web UI of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager caused by improper handling of XML External Entity (XXE) entries during XML parsing.
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller Authentication Bypass Vulnerability referenced in the advisory notice.
Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.
Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.
Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.
Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.