CVE Intelligence
Medium

CVE-2026-20032 — Cisco NX-OS Software Python Sandbox Escape Vulnerability

A vulnerability in the Python interpreter of Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with low privileges to escape the Python sandbox and gain unauthorized access to the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by manipulating specific functions within the Python interpreter. A successful exploit could allow an attacker to escape the Python sandbox and execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system with the privileges of the authenticated user.

Published Oct 7, 2026 · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: cisco

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.
How the score was calculated
  • EPSS 0.1% (30-day exploitation probability)+0
  • Technical severity (medium)+3

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation
Not confirmed
Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.
EPSS FIRST
0.11%
ahead of 1% of scored CVEs · Oct 14, 2026
Affects
Cisco
Cisco NX-OS Software
CVSS base
4.4
Medium · 2 source(s)

CISA SSVC assessment CISA

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

Exploitation
None
none · proof-of-concept · active
Automatable
No
can an attacker script the kill-chain steps
Technical impact
Partial
partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

  1. Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Cisco Cisco NX-OS Software).
  2. No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
  3. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

VendorProductVersionsStatusSource
Cisco Cisco NX-OS Software version 10.6(1s)version 10.6(3s)version 10.6(2n)version 9.3(17)version 10.5(5)version 10.4(7)version 10.6(3)version 8.4(13)
and 135 more version 10.6(2s)version 10.3(9)version 9.4(5)version 10.5(3p)version 10.6(2)version 10.4(4g)version 9.3(16)version 10.5(3o)version 9.4(4)version 10.5(3e)version 10.5(3s)version 10.4(6)version 10.3(8)version 10.5(3t)version 10.6(1)version 8.4(12)version 9.4(3b)version 10.5(4)version 8.2(5)version 7.3(5)D1(1)version 8.4(2)version 8.4(3)version 9.2(3)version 8.2(1)version 7.3(1)D1(1)version 9.2(2v)version 7.3(0)D1(1)version 7.3(4)D1(1)version 9.2(1)version 9.2(2t)version 9.2(3y)version 9.3(2)version 7.3(1)DY(1)version 8.1(1)version 8.2(2)version 8.3(2)version 7.3(2)D1(3a)version 9.2(4)version 8.1(2)version 7.3(3)D1(1)version 8.2(3)version 8.3(1)version 8.4(1)version 8.1(1b)version 7.3(0)DX(1)version 7.3(2)D1(1)version 9.3(1)version 7.3(2)D1(2)version 8.2(4)version 7.3(0)DY(1)version 9.3(1z)version 9.2(2)version 8.1(2a)version 7.3(2)D1(3)version 8.1(1a)version 8.4(1a)version 9.3(3)version 7.3(2)D1(1d)version 9.3(4)version 7.3(6)D1(1)version 8.2(6)version 9.3(5)version 8.4(2a)version 8.4(2b)version 8.5(1)version 9.3(6)version 8.4(4)version 7.3(7)D1(1)version 8.4(2c)version 9.3(5w)version 8.2(7)version 9.3(7)version 9.3(7k)version 7.3(8)D1(1)version 9.3(7a)version 8.2(7a)version 9.3(8)version 8.4(4a)version 8.4(2d)version 8.4(5)version 8.2(8)version 9.3(9)version 7.3(9)D1(1)version 8.4(6)version 8.4(2e)version 9.3(10)version 9.2(1a)version 8.2(9)version 10.3(1)version 8.4(7)version 10.3(2)version 8.4(6a)version 9.3(11)version 10.3(3)version 9.4(1)version 9.3(2a)version 8.4(2f)version 8.2(10)version 9.3(12)version 10.4(1)version 8.4(8)version 10.3(99w)version 10.3(3w)version 10.3(99x)version 10.3(3o)version 8.4(9)version 10.3(4)version 10.3(3p)version 10.3(4a)version 9.4(1a)version 10.4(2)version 10.3(3q)version 9.3(13)version 8.2(11)version 9.4(2)version 10.3(5)version 10.4(3)version 10.3(3x)version 10.3(4g)version 10.5(1)version 8.4(10)version 9.4(2a)version 10.3(3r)version 10.3(6)version 9.3(14)version 10.4(4)version 10.3(4h)version 10.5(2)version 8.4(11)version 9.4(3)version 10.3(7)version 10.4(5)version 10.5(3)version 9.3(15)version 9.4(3a)
Vulnerable CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

ScoreVersionSeverityExpl.ImpactScored by
4.4 CVSS 3.1 Medium 1.8 2.5 psirt@cisco.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database
4.4 CVSS 3.1 Medium — — cisco via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N (score shown at the top: psirt@cisco.com)

Weakness MITRE

Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.

CWE-653

Other CVEs with this weakness →

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.11%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

  • Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
endpoint telemetry (EDR)

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

  • 2026
  • Affected products added · cisco/cisco nx-os software
    Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • SSVC assessment updated
    Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Record published
    Oct 13, 2026
  • CVSS changed · 4.4
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Source status changed · → Awaiting Analysis
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Record created in this database
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • CVE published
    Oct 7, 2026 · cisco

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

  • 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026

References

1 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Cisco
every CVE for this vendor
CWE-653
other pages naming this weakness

Related CVEs (same products)

  • CVE-2026-76501 Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches SRv6 OAM (NGOAM) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability 8d
  • CVE-2026-76485 Cisco Nexus 3000 and 9000 Series Switches VXLAN OAM (NGOAM) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability 8d
  • CVE-2026-76486 Cisco Nexus 3000 and 9000 Series Switches VXLAN OAM (NGOAM) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability 8d
  • CVE-2026-76471 Cisco NX-OS Software NX-API Remote Code Execution Vulnerability 8d
  • CVE-2026-76465 Cisco Nexus 3000 and 9000 Series Switches MPLS OAM Remote Code Execution Vulnerability 8d
  • CVE-2026-76459 Cisco NX-OS Software Security Hardening Release: October 2026 - Out-of-bounds Write Vulnerabilities 8d

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

  • No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
  • No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
  • No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
  • No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-20032 is "Cisco NX-OS Software Python Sandbox Escape Vulnerability", rated Medium. It affects Cisco NX-OS Software (Cisco); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 4.4 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.11% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

Comments

Moderated technical discussion. Read the community guidelines.

No comments yet.

Sign in or create an account to comment and suggest corrections.