Is CVE-2026-20272 exploited in the wild?

No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-20272 being exploited in the wild.

How severe is CVE-2026-20272?

Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.8, published 5 August 2026.

Which products and versions are affected?

Cisco IOS XE 17.9 prior to 17.9.10, 17.12 prior to 17.12.8, 17.15 prior to 17.15.6, 17.18 prior to 17.18.4, 26.1 prior to 26.1.2.

Is there a fix for CVE-2026-20272?

A patch was published on 2026-08-05: Fixed releases available: 17.9.10, 17.12.8, 17.15.6, 17.18.4/4a, 26.1.2 Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

How is CVE-2026-20272 attacked?

It is attacked over the network, in an operating system.

Am I affected by CVE-2026-20272?

Check whether you run Cisco IOS XE 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.

CVE-2026-20272: Cisco IOS XE Software improper neutralization of special elements

CVE-2026-20272 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.8 · Published 2026-08-05

Cisco IOS XE Software, which runs on network switches and routers, contains a critical vulnerability in how it processes special elements and commands. An unauthenticated attacker on the network can exploit this flaw to gain complete control over affected devices, compromise data, disrupt service, or launch further attacks into the network.

Technologies: Cisco IOS XE. Vendors: Cisco.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-20272 exploited in the wild?: No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-20272 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-20272?: Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.8, published 5 August 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?: Cisco IOS XE 17.9 prior to 17.9.10, 17.12 prior to 17.12.8, 17.15 prior to 17.15.6, 17.18 prior to 17.18.4, 26.1 prior to 26.1.2.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-20272?: A patch was published on 2026-08-05: Fixed releases available: 17.9.10, 17.12.8, 17.15.6, 17.18.4/4a, 26.1.2 Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-20272 attacked?: It is attacked over the network, in an operating system.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-20272?: Check whether you run Cisco IOS XE 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

CVE-2026-20272 encompasses improper neutralization of special elements (CWE-74), which includes command injection, OS injection, and argument injection vulnerabilities in Cisco IOS XE Software. The vulnerability affects devices running in autonomous or controller mode across multiple release trains (17.9, 17.12, 17.15, 17.18, and 26.1). An unauthenticated attacker on the network can send specially crafted input to trigger injection attacks that allow arbitrary command execution or privilege escalation. This is a network-reachable vulnerability requiring no authentication or user interaction. Cisco has released patched versions (17.9.10, 17.12.8, 17.15.6, 17.18.4/4a, 26.1.2) and confirmed no known active exploitation.

Affected products

Cisco IOS XE 17.9 prior to 17.9.10, 17.12 prior to 17.12.8, 17.15 prior to 17.15.6, 17.18 prior to 17.18.4, 26.1 prior to 26.1.2

Timeline

2026-08-05: disclosed
2026-08-05: patched: Fixed releases available: 17.9.10, 17.12.8, 17.15.6, 17.18.4/4a, 26.1.2

References

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