Detect Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager Storing Passwords in a Recoverable Format (CVE-2026-20128) in Sumo Logic CSE
CVE-2026-20128 affects Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager and involves storing passwords in a recoverable format (CWE-257). An attacker with local or network access to the SD-WAN Manager may be able to extract plaintext or weakly-obfuscated credentials from configuration files, databases, or memory. This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, indicating active exploitation in the wild. Successful exploitation could lead to credential theft enabling lateral movement, further network compromise, or full SD-WAN infrastructure takeover.
MITRE ATT&CK
Sumo Detection Query
_sourceCategory=cisco/sdwan OR _sourceCategory=network/sdwan OR _sourceCategory=endpoint
| where _raw matches /(?i)(vmanage|sdwan|viptela)/
| parse regex "(?P<file_path>\/etc\/viptela[^\s"']*|\/opt\/nms[^\s"']*)" nodrop
| parse regex "(?P<suspicious_cmd>(?:sqlite3|strings|python|perl|ruby)\s+[^\n]*(?:password|passwd|credential|secret))" nodrop
| parse regex "(?P<src_ip>\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3})" as source_ip nodrop
| where !isNull(file_path) or !isNull(suspicious_cmd)
| if(!isNull(file_path), "Config File Access", "Credential Scraping") as detection_type
| withtime _messagetime
| count by _messagetime, _sourceHost, detection_type, file_path, suspicious_cmd, source_ip
| sort by _messagetime descSumo Logic query for CVE-2026-20128 that identifies vManage configuration file access and credential-scraping command patterns in Cisco SD-WAN Manager logs and endpoint telemetry.
Data Sources
Required Tables
False Positives & Tuning
- Scheduled log rotation or backup processes touching vManage configuration paths
- Authorized red team exercises against SD-WAN infrastructure
- Vendor-recommended diagnostic scripts triggering pattern matches
Other platforms for CVE-2026-20128
Testing Methodology
Validate this detection against 4 adversary techniques from Atomic Red Team. Each test below lists the behaviour to exercise and the telemetry you should expect to see. Executable commands and cleanup steps are available with Pro.
- Test 1vManage SQLite Credential Database Direct Query
Expected signal: Process creation event for sqlite3 with command line containing /opt/nms/db or credential-related terms; file access event on vManage database path
- Test 2Grep for Passwords in vManage Configuration Directory
Expected signal: Process launch event for grep with arguments targeting /etc/viptela or similar paths and containing password-related search terms
- Test 3Unauthorized vManage REST API Credential Extraction via Python
Expected signal: Process launch event for python3 with command line containing the vManage management port (8443) and credential/user-related API path; NetworkConnectionIP4 event to localhost:8443
- Test 4strings Utility Against vManage Process Memory or Binary
Expected signal: Process creation for 'strings' with /proc/<pid>/exe or a vManage binary path as argument; subsequent grep process with credential search terms
References (4)
- https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/ed-26-03-mitigate-vulnerabilities-cisco-sd-wan-systems
- https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/supplemental-direction-ed-26-03-hunt-and-hardening-guidance-cisco-sd-wan-systems
- https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-sdwan-authbp-qwCX8D4v
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-20128
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