What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-20046?

CVE-2026-20046 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 (High). CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. EPSS exploitation probability: 0.0%.

Which versions of Ios Xr are affected by CVE-2026-20046?

A high-severity vulnerability in Cisco IOS XR allows authenticated local users to escalate privileges to full administrative control through a CLI command bypass.

How to fix or mitigate CVE-2026-20046?

Within 24 hours: Identify all Cisco IOS XR devices in your environment and document current user account policies. Within 7 days: Restrict local CLI access to essential personnel only, implement multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts, and enable detailed command logging and audit trails. Within 30 days: Monitor Cisco security advisories for patch availability and develop a rapid deployment plan; consider network segmentation to limit lateral movement from compromised local accounts.

Ios Xr CVE-2026-20046

HIGH

Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls (CWE-264)

2026-03-11 psirt@cisco.com

Cisco Apple Privilege Escalation Ios Xr

8.8

CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: cisco

Severity by source

Vendor (cisco) PRIMARY

8.8 HIGH

AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Primary rating from Vendor (cisco) · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorVendor: cisco

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Attack Vector

Local

Attack Complexity

Low

Privileges Required

Low

User Interaction

None

Scope

Changed

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Lifecycle Timeline

Analysis Generated

Mar 12, 2026 - 22:06 vuln.today

CVE Published

Mar 11, 2026 - 17:16 nvd

HIGH 8.8

DescriptionCVE.org

A vulnerability in task group assignment for a specific CLI command in Cisco IOS XR Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to elevate privileges and gain full administrative control of an affected device.

This vulnerability is due to incorrect mapping of a command to task groups within the source code. An attacker with a low-privileged account could exploit this vulnerability by using the CLI command to bypass the task group–based checks. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to elevate privileges and perform actions on an affected device without authorization checks.

AnalysisAI

Cisco IOS XR Software contains a task group mapping flaw in a specific CLI command that allows authenticated local attackers to bypass privilege checks and gain full administrative access to affected devices. An attacker with low-privileged credentials can exploit this misconfiguration to execute unauthorized administrative actions without proper authorization validation. No patch is currently available.

Technical ContextAI

This vulnerability (CWE-264: Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls) affects task group assignment for a specific CLI command in Cisco IOS XR Software. in task group assignment for a specific CLI command in Cisco IOS XR Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to elevate privileges and gain full administrative control of an affected device.