CVE-2026-20273
Received Received - Intake

Improper Input Validation in Cisco IOS XE Software

Publication date: 2026-08-05

Last updated on: 2026-08-05

Assigner: Cisco Systems, Inc.

Description
As part of Cisco's ongoing commitment to proactive security and product quality, the Cisco IOS XE Software 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-2026-20273 are related to improper input validation issues that are grouped under the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) Pillar CWE-20.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-05
Last Modified
2026-08-05
Generated
2026-08-05
AI Q&A
2026-08-05
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-20273
EUVD
EUVD-2026-53459

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 2 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
cisco ios_xe *
cisco ios_xe_software *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-20 The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is related to improper input validation in Cisco IOS XE Software, classified under CWE-20. It was discovered during Cisco's internal security review and affects multiple products. The issue could allow unauthorized actions due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input.

Impact Analysis

The vulnerability could lead to denial-of-service conditions as indicated by the CVSS score (A:H). Attackers might exploit it to cause system crashes or instability by sending specially crafted input, though it does not directly expose confidential data or allow code execution.

Compliance Impact

The vulnerability involves improper input validation, which could lead to denial-of-service conditions. This may impact compliance by disrupting data availability, a key requirement under standards like GDPR and HIPAA.

Mitigation Strategies

Update Cisco IOS XE Software to the latest version provided by Cisco to address the improper input validation issues. Monitor Cisco's security advisories for patches and apply them promptly.

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