# CVE-2026-20220: Cisco Crosswork Network Controller command injection in template engine

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20220-cisco-crosswork-network-controller-command-injection-in-template  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-06-17. Updated: 2026-06-20  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-20220 · Severity: medium · CVSS 6.3 · Published 2026-06-17

Cisco Crosswork Network Controller is a management platform used by service providers to automate and orchestrate large-scale networks. A security flaw in its web-based management interface could allow an authorized user with specific permissions to run unauthorized commands on the system. While an attacker needs valid credentials to exploit this, a successful attack could allow them to modify or delete files in certain parts of the system, potentially disrupting network management operations.

Technologies: [Cisco Crosswork Network Controller](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/crosswork-network-controller). Vendors: [Cisco](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/cisco).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-20220 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-20220 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-20220?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.3, published 17 June 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Cisco Crosswork Network Controller 7.1 and earlier, 7.2.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-20220?** A patch was published on 2026-06-17. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-20220 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-20220?** Check whether you run Cisco Crosswork Network Controller at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

A server-side template injection (SSTI) vulnerability exists in the configuration template engine of the Cisco Crosswork Network Controller's web-based management interface. The issue stems from insufficient input validation of user-supplied data processed by the template engine. An authenticated, remote attacker with 'template user' write permissions can exploit this by sending crafted requests to the interface. Successful exploitation allows for arbitrary command execution on the underlying Linux operating system, though the impact is restricted to file system areas where the template user has explicit write permissions. Cisco has released software updates to address this vulnerability in versions 7.1.3 and 7.2.1.

## Affected products

- Cisco Crosswork Network Controller 7.1 and earlier, 7.2

## Timeline

- 2026-06-17: disclosed
- 2026-06-17: advisory
- 2026-06-17: patched

## References

- [https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-cnc-inj-QNMeEmxk](https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-cnc-inj-QNMeEmxk)

## Related threats

- [Cisco Crosswork insufficiently protected credentials](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20359-cisco-crosswork-insufficiently-protected-credentials)
- [Cisco Crosswork external file system control vulnerability](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20358-cisco-crosswork-external-file-system-control-vulnerability)
- [Cisco Crosswork missing authentication for critical functions](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20357-cisco-crosswork-missing-authentication-for-critical-functions)
- [Cisco Crosswork SQL injection in multiple products](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20030-cisco-crosswork-sql-injection-in-multiple-products)
- [Cisco Crosswork Network Controller and NSO resource management issue](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20188-cisco-crosswork-network-controller-and-nso-resource-management)