---
id: "CVE-2026-76495"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-76495"]
title: "Cisco Expressway: incorrect permission assignments allow unauthorized access, unknown impact"
severity: "high"
cvss: 7.8
epss: 0.00106
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "infrastructure"
products: [{"name": "Cisco Expressway Series", "fixed": ["X15.5.20"], "affected": "<= X15.5.3; X14 and earlier", "ecosystem": "vendor"}]
ecosystems: []
tags: ["cisco", "expressway", "expressway-c", "expressway-e", "infrastructure", "local-access", "video-collaboration"]
not_affected_if: []
published_at: "2026-10-21T17:19:09+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T21:57:29+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-25T03:20:35+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-76495", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T21:57:29+00:00"}, {"source": "epss", "url": "https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-76495", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-24T13:15:54+00:00"}, {"source": "analyst", "url": null, "first_seen_at": "2026-10-25T03:20:35+00:00"}]
---

# Cisco Expressway: incorrect permission assignments allow unauthorized access, unknown impact

Cisco's October 2026 Expressway hardening release groups internally found flaws. CVE-2026-76495 covers the incorrect permission assignment (CWE-732) flaws, with a maximum score of 7.8 (local access, low privileges). Cisco says none are known to be exploited and gives no per-flaw detail.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## Affected

- vendor:Cisco Expressway Series affected <= X15.5.3; X14 and earlier fixed X15.5.20

## How to check

Check the software version in the Expressway web UI (Status > Overview) or with 'xstatus SystemUnit' on the CLI. Anything on X15.5.3 or earlier, or on X14 or earlier, is vulnerable. I did not read the exact CLI command on a Cisco page, so confirm it.

## Fix

Upgrade Cisco Expressway to X15.5.20 or later if you run X15.5.3 or earlier. X14 and earlier have no fix in their own train: migrate to a fixed release. Cisco lists no workarounds.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T21:57:29+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-76495
- 2026-10-24T13:15:54+00:00 epss https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-76495
- 2026-10-25T03:20:35+00:00 analyst — Read Cisco PSIRT advisory cisco-sa-exwy-hardening-FhcqBVcs (grouped hardening release, 8 CVEs). Fixed X15.5.20; X14 and earlier must migrate. No workarounds, not known exploited. Per-flaw impact not disclosed; CVSS 7.8 local, low priv.

## Documents

- [advisory] Cisco Expressway Series Security Hardening Release: October 2026 https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-exwy-hardening-FhcqBVcs

## From the sources

As part of Cisco's ongoing commitment to proactive security and product quality, the Cisco Expressway Series software engineering team has conducted a comprehensive internal security review. This review resulted in software hardening releases that address multiple internally discovered vulnerabilities. &nbsp;

The vulnerabilities tracked by CVE-2026-76495 are related to issues concerning incorrect permission assignments that are grouped under the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) Variant CWE-732.

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_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_