Summary
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| CVE ID | CVE-2026-20357 |
| Alert Source | GitHub Advisory - Critical Vulnerability |
| CVE Publication Year | 2026 |
| Date Published | 2026-08-19 |
| Vendor | Cisco |
| Product | Crosswork |
| CVSS Score | 10.0 (critical) |
| EPSS Score | No data |
| CISA KEV | No |
| Ransomware | Not confirmed |
Vulnerability Description
As part of Cisco’s ongoing commitment to proactive security and product quality, the Cisco Crosswork engineering team has conducted a comprehensive internal security review. This review resulted in a software hardening release that addresses multiple internally discovered vulnerabilities.
The vulnerabilities tracked by CVE-2026-20357 are related to missing authentication for critical function issues that are grouped under the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) CWE-306.
Required Actions
- Apply the Cisco hardening release per advisory
cisco-sa-hardening-crosswork-UzDTU9Vh. A single update closes all three vulnerabilities — do not plan them separately. - Consider Crosswork’s role in the architecture: it is a network automation and orchestration platform. A compromise does not stop at the tool itself — it extends to the devices it manages. Assess the risk in terms of network-wide reach, not a single server.
- Restrict network access to Crosswork interfaces to a dedicated management network only. With CVSS 10.0 and missing authentication, exposure beyond that network has no justification.
- After updating, review credentials stored in Crosswork — CVE-2026-20359 concerns their insufficient protection, so the patch alone does not invalidate anything that may already have leaked. Consider rotation.
Who Is Affected?
Organizations using Cisco Crosswork for network automation and orchestration — typically telecom operators and large network environments. The flaws were found internally and no active exploitation has been reported, but CVSS 10.0 with missing authentication leaves no margin for delay.
Sources
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