CVE-2026-16812
CWE-78Published: July 27, 2026· Updated: Jul 28, 2026
Official Description
VeloCloud Orchestrator (VCO) on-prem has a security issue where this issue may allow a remote attacker to access privileged internal functionality and impact the VCO host. Successful exploitation may compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the orchestrator and data managed by the orchestrator.
This functionality was intended to be for internal use only and is not intended to be remotely accessible.
Hosted and Dedicated versions of VCO have already been patched in advance of this notice going out.
This issue was discovered externally and is known to be actively exploited.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-16812 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.
The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.
A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 10.0.
The vulnerability has a "Changed" scope, meaning successful exploitation can impact components beyond the vulnerable component itself — such as the host operating system or adjacent services.
CISA has added CVE-2026-16812 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming active exploitation in the wild. U.S. federal agencies are required to patch this within the mandated timeframe, and all organizations should treat remediation as urgent.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Exploit & PoC Resources
News & Research Mentioning CVE-2026-16812
A maximum-severity security flaw impacting on-premises versions of Arista VeloCloud Orchestrator (VCO) has come under active exploitation in the wild. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2026-16812 (CVSS score: 10.0), is a case of operating system command injection that could pave the way for arbitrary code execution. "VeloCloud Orchestrator (VCO) on-prem has a security issue where this issue [xlite_meta score:50 src:The Hacker News xlite_fp:b415e0c108154eb25c6720ad8a082df6dea30fb00e81483d4adfb21fe9fec07b]
CISA has added two new vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalog, based on evidence of active exploitation. CVE-2025-68686 Fortinet FortiOS Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor Vulnerability CVE-2026-16812 Arista VeloCloud Orchestrator On-Prem OS Command Injection Vulnerability These types of vulnerabilities are a frequent attack vector for malicious cyber actors and pose significant risks to the federal enterprise. Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 26-04: Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk establishes vulnerability management requirements for Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies. BOD 26-04 reinforces the importance of the KEV Catalog and requires federal agencies to prioritize [xlite_meta score:51 src:CISA Alerts xlite_fp:1d722d204cdb50a87a16c182843d87452412bec9ee02d6c3e5eafccebd2e42e9]
All References (2)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-78)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2026-16812 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
- !CISA KEV: Federal agencies must patch per BOD 22-01 timeline
- !Active exploitation confirmed — treat as P1