Security assessments indicate that CVE-2026-20026 presents a notable risk, potentially requiring prompt mitigation.
Status: Awaiting Analysis
Last updated: 🕕 08 Jan 2026, 18:08 UTC
Originally published on: 🕔 07 Jan 2026, 17:16 UTC
Time between publication and last update: 1 days
CVSS Release: version 3
psirt@cisco.com
Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:L
CVE-2026-20026: Multiple Cisco products are affected by a vulnerability in the processing of DCE/RPC requests that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause the Snort 3 Detection Engine to leak sensitive information or to restart, resulting in an interruption of packet inspection. This vulnerability is due to an error in buffer handling logic when processing DCE/RPC requests, which can result in a buffer use-after-free read. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a large number of DCE/RPC requests through an established connection that is inspected by Snort 3. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to unexpectedly restart the Snort 3 Detection Engine, which could cause a denial of service (DoS).
The exploitability of CVE-2026-20026 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
With low attack complexity and no required privileges, CVE-2026-20026 is an easy target for cybercriminals. Organizations should prioritize immediate mitigation measures to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2026-20026, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2026-20026, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
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