Highly exploitable, CVE-2026-20048 poses a critical security risk that could lead to severe breaches.
Status: Awaiting Analysis
Last updated: 🕑 27 Feb 2026, 14:06 UTC
Originally published on: 🕔 25 Feb 2026, 17:25 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:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVE-2026-20048: A vulnerability in the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) subsystem of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Fabric Switches in ACI mode could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper processing when parsing SNMP requests. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by continuously sending SNMP queries to a specific MIB of an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause a kernel panic on the device, resulting in a reload and a DoS condition. Note: This vulnerability affects SNMP versions 1, 2c, and 3. To exploit this vulnerability through SNMPv1 or SNMPv2c, the attacker must have a valid read-only SNMP community string for the affected system. To exploit this vulnerability through SNMPv3, the attacker must have valid SNMP user credentials for the affected system.
The exploitability of CVE-2026-20048 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).
CVE-2026-20048 presents an accessible attack vector with minimal effort required. Restricting access controls and implementing security updates are critical to reducing exploitation risks.
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-2026-20048, 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-2026-20048, 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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