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CVE-2026-20191 – Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Read – Cisco Catalyst Center 2.3.7.x / 3.1.x

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Summary

CVE-2026-20191 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22) in Cisco Catalyst Center (formerly Cisco DNA Center), the widely deployed enterprise network management and automation platform. An unauthenticated, remote attacker can exploit insufficient input validation to read arbitrary files from a restricted container by sending a single crafted HTTP request, with no credentials or user interaction required. The vulnerability carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (High).

Technical details

  • Root cause: Insufficient validation of user-supplied input in Cisco Catalyst Center’s HTTP request handling, classified as CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory — Path Traversal).
  • Trigger conditions: The attacker sends a specially crafted HTTP request to an internet- or network-reachable Cisco Catalyst Center instance; no authentication, no prior access, and no user interaction are required (PR:N, UI:N).
  • Attack vector: Network (AV:N), low complexity (AC:L) — exploitable remotely against any reachable instance.
  • Impact: Successful exploitation allows the attacker to read arbitrary files from a restricted container on the affected device (C:H). Accessible files may include sensitive configuration data, internal secrets, or credentials stored within the container. There is no integrity or availability impact (I:N, A:N).
  • No public proof-of-concept has been disclosed as of the publication date.

Affected software

  • Cisco Catalyst Center 2.3.7.0-VA through 2.3.7.10-VA
  • Cisco Catalyst Center 3.1.3 and 3.1.3-VA
  • Cisco Catalyst Center 3.1.5, 3.1.5-VA, 3.1.5-VA on AWS, and 3.1.5-RevUp
  • Cisco Catalyst Center 3.1.6, 3.1.6-VA, 3.1.6-BETA, 3.1.6-GSMU100, and 3.1.6-VA-GSMU100

Severity

CVSS v3.1 Base Score: 7.5 (High)
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Mitigation and recommended actions

  • Immediate action: Consult the Cisco Security Advisory (cisco-sa-catc-file-read-wLH2vf8X) for the complete fixed software table and upgrade to the vendor-recommended patched release.
  • Network mitigation: Where immediate patching is not feasible, restrict network access to Cisco Catalyst Center’s management interface so that only trusted, authorized hosts can reach it. Ensure the platform is not directly exposed to the internet.
  • Detection: Audit logs for anomalous or unexpected HTTP requests to the Catalyst Center web interface that may indicate exploitation attempts.

IONIX Status

The IONIX research team is tracking ongoing exploitation attempts and recommends immediate patching. Potentially affected assets are outlined in this post.

References

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