How severe is CVE-2023-20252?

CVE-2023-20252 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2023-20252 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (61st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-20252?

CVE-2023-20252 primarily affects Cisco Catalyst Sd-wan Manager. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-20252?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2023-20252 published?

CVE-2023-20252 was published on 2023-09-27 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-20252

CVE-2023-20252 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Cisco Catalyst Sd-wan Manager with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-287.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (61st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-287
Affected product: Cisco Catalyst Sd-wan Manager
Published: 2023-09-27
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A vulnerability in the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) APIs of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to gain unauthorized access to the application as an arbitrary user. This vulnerability is due to improper authentication checks for SAML APIs. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending requests directly to the SAML API. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to generate an authorization token sufficient to gain access to the application.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-20252?: A vulnerability in the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) APIs of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to gain unauthorized access to the application as an arbitrary user. This vulnerability is due to improper authentication checks for SAML APIs. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending requests directly to the SAML API. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to generate an authorization token sufficient to gain access to the application.
How severe is CVE-2023-20252?: CVE-2023-20252 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2023-20252 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (61st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-20252?: CVE-2023-20252 primarily affects Cisco Catalyst Sd-wan Manager. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-20252?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2023-20252 published?: CVE-2023-20252 was published on 2023-09-27 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-sdwan-vman-sc-LRLfu2z

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:cisco:catalyst_sd-wan_manager:20.9.3.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:catalyst_sd-wan_manager:20.11.1.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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