CVE-2022-20775: Cisco SD-WAN authenticated local path traversal to root

Quick Answer

CVE-2022-20775 is an authenticated local CLI path to root privileges in affected Cisco SD-WAN software, not an unauthenticated remote entry point. Inventory the control and edge components listed below, preserve local-access and fabric evidence, then select a supported update covering this and any newer applicable flaws. Cisco reported attempted exploitation in February 2026; CISA added the CVE that month. Patching the local escalation does not establish that an earlier fabric compromise is removed.

Evidence check: The vendor evidence and its limits are described below. CISA KEV catalog 2026.10.02 was checked October 2; catalog chronology is separate from vendor publication history and evidence of compromise in your deployment. No exploit or update test is claimed.

Context

Status At A Glance

Product scope	Cisco — SD-WAN
CVE	CVE-2022-20775
TechGeeks response tier	P0 — confirm an exact match and act now
CISA KEV added	2026-02-25
Vendor severity	High (Cisco CVE-specific CSAF).
CVSS	7.8 (Cisco CVSS v3.1 base; local, low privileges required).
Ransomware field	Unknown — this is not the same as No; CISA has not marked the field Known.
Forensic-triage field	No in the current CISA field; organizations should still investigate when exposure or evidence warrants it.
CWE	CWE-25, CWE-282
Federal remediation date	2026-02-27 — applies to covered federal agencies; other organizations should set a risk-based deadline.

What Happened

Cisco SD-WAN Path Traversal Vulnerability. Cisco SD-WAN CLI contains a path traversal vulnerability that could allow an authenticated local attacker to gain elevated privileges via improper access controls on commands within the application CLI. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands as the root user. CISA's KEV listing confirms exploitation evidence, but it does not state how widespread the activity is or prove that any particular installation was compromised.

Affected Scope

Cisco lists vBond Orchestrator, vEdge Cloud Routers, vEdge Routers, vManage and vSmart Controller running affected SD-WAN releases. Cisco IOS XE SD-WAN Software is excluded. Match the CVE-2022-20775 table, not the adjacent CVE-2022-20818 table.

Match the exact edition, hardware or virtual platform, release, patch level, enabled feature, and management exposure. A product-family name alone is not enough to establish applicability.

Steps

What To Do Now

1. Confirm. Inventory every SD-WAN asset and record its exact version, patch level, role, relevant configuration, and exposure.
2. Preserve. Save UTC timestamps, off-device authentication, firewall, proxy, DNS, endpoint, application, and SIEM evidence before logs rotate or a disruptive change removes context.
3. Contain. Restrict unnecessary internet and management-plane access using supported controls. Follow the live advisory: Open the live Cisco advisory.
4. Remediate. Follow CISA ED 26-03 hunt/hardening guidance, verify the affected SD-WAN release, and upgrade to the current Cisco-fixed release. Review local privileged access and fabric configuration.
5. Validate. Verify the resulting version or patch level, service health, logging, expected access, an expected denial, and representative dependent workflows.
6. Escalate. If exposure overlapped the vulnerable period or evidence is suspicious, treat the system as a potential incident and follow vendor and incident-response recovery guidance.

Fixed Releases And Mitigation

Investigation And Recovery

CISA's KEV record does not mark this entry for forensic triage. That field is not proof of a clean system; consult the vendor advisory for indicators and recovery guidance.

When an attacker may have gained administrative, root, SYSTEM, identity, management-plane, or code-execution access, patching alone is not an eradication claim. Preserve evidence, scope affected accounts and downstream systems, rotate exposed credentials or certificates when justified, and rebuild from a trusted source when vendor or incident-response guidance requires it.

Notes

Exploitation Evidence

Vendor statement: Cisco says it became aware of attempted exploitation of CVE-2022-20775 in February 2026. The same advisory's no-malicious-use statement belongs to CVE-2022-20818 and must not be applied here. CISA independently added 20775 on February 25.

CISA statement: CVE-2022-20775 was added to KEV on 2026-02-25. The ransomware field is Unknown, and the forensic-triage field is No. These are separate signals.

Validation And Boundaries

This notice does not prove that every product carrying the family name is affected, that exploitation is widespread, that a clean indicator search rules out compromise, or that a successful update restored trust. TechGeeks has not reproduced the exploit and does not replace the vendor advisory, asset inventory, vulnerability scanner, or incident-response process.

Related TechGeeks Resources

• TechGeeks Security Notice Center
• All Security Notices
• What to Do When a Device Hits CISA KEV
• Router CVE Exposure, Version, and Mitigation Checklist
• IoT Firmware Update and End-of-Support Checklist
• Live Protect and Runtime Vulnerability Shielding

References

• Cisco advisory or support notice
• CISA guidance
• CISA guidance
• NVD CVE record
• CISA source

Wrap-Up

Record whether CVE-2022-20775 applies to your environment. If it does, assign an owner, preserve the change and investigation evidence, complete the vendor action, and document the validated result.

Correction policy: If a primary source changes affected versions, remediation, exploitation status, or recovery guidance, TechGeeks will update this page and its verification date.