To audit Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager access, first identify the deployed release and the source of user roles, then inventory accounts, compare each role and scope with job duties, review available audit events, and check active Manager and device sessions separately. The procedures below use the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager documentation for Releases 26.x and later; menu labels and RBAC behavior can differ in older releases or customized deployments.
1. Set the audit scope and evidence window
Before reviewing accounts, record the Manager release, cluster or tenant under review, audit period, and authentication arrangement. Note whether identities and roles are managed locally or supplied through an identity provider. Cisco documents SAML SSO configurations where roles may come from the identity provider; local role assignment may be available when the provider supplies no roles. Establish which system is authoritative before treating a Manager role listing as the complete picture. See Cisco’s Role-Based Access Control Overview.
Use records actually available in the deployed system and any configured export or archive process to define the evidence window. Cisco’s documentation cited here does not establish a universal audit-log retention duration. Do not assume the interface contains a particular number of days of history.
2. Inventory Manager accounts
Find the user list
In the documented Releases 26.x-and-later workflow, open Administration > Users and Access > Users. Cisco’s user-management guide identifies fields including full name, username, roles, and scope, and indicates remote users can also be identified. Check the installed release’s interface if the path differs. See Configure Users.
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Reconcile accounts with responsibility
For each account, record its owner or business purpose, status, authentication source, assigned roles, scope, and current reason for access. Reconcile the list against current employees, contractors, service identities, and approved integrations. Flag accounts with no accountable owner or current purpose for follow-up; this is an audit control, not a product-generated finding.
3. Evaluate roles and scope together
Cisco defines role-based access control as restricting or authorizing access according to roles and scope. Roles govern permitted actions across features and APIs; scope (also described as locale in Cisco’s access model) limits the objects—such as sites, devices, or templates—on which a user can act. A role that grants write privileges does not by itself establish that the user can write to every object: Cisco says write access requires both an enabling role and a scope that permits the resource. Review the deployed permissions rather than relying on a role name alone.
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Compare each user against documented duties and approved access. Useful comparison fields are permitted actions (read, write, or deny), object scope, security versus non-security policy responsibilities, access to running or local configuration, account ownership and authentication source, and activity expected for the user’s work.
| Role | Documented purpose or access | Audit consideration |
|---|---|---|
| operator | Intended for view-only information access. Cisco notes the predefined role does not access running or local configurations. | Check whether view access matches the user’s duties and whether configuration visibility is needed. |
| netadmin | A non-configurable role that permits all operations; by default it includes the admin user, and other users can be added. | Scrutinize assignment against an explicit administrative need. |
| network_operations | Can perform non-security-policy operations and view security policy information; examples include template configuration and non-security policies. | Check that responsibilities remain within the intended non-security policy boundary. |
| security_operations | Can perform security operations and view non-security-policy information. Cisco describes a deployment/removal handoff with network_operations for some security-policy work. | Verify the division of responsibilities and any required handoff for policy changes. |
These descriptions reflect Cisco’s documented defaults, not a guarantee that a particular deployment remains unchanged. Cisco notes that the basic prebuilt role cannot be modified or deleted and recommends copying it to create a customer role. Where only some administrative privileges are needed, Cisco advises creating a custom role with selected features. Confirm effective permissions in the installed release and current configuration. See Role-Based Access Control.
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4. Review recent audit-log activity
Open the audit-log view available in the installed release and select the period your available records support. Cisco describes audit logs as useful for traceability, co-management, and governance. From Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager Release 20.12.1, enhanced audit logging captures high login frequency and failed login attempts. Treat these as signals to investigate, not proof of misuse. Cisco’s Alarms, Events, and Logs guide covers the monitoring context for Releases 26.x and later.
Focus on unexplained account, role, scope, policy, or configuration changes; repeated failed attempts; unusual login bursts; and activity inconsistent with the assigned role or expected work. Compare relevant events with approved change records and planned maintenance before escalating.
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A Cisco integration guide describes an audit-log view at Monitor > Logs > Audit logs and columns for Action, Details, Date/Time, and User. Because display fields and navigation can vary by release, confirm the path and available fields in the target Manager rather than assuming they match.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.5. Check Manager and device sessions separately
Review active Manager web sessions
In Cisco’s documented workflow, open Administration > Manage Users > User Sessions to view active Manager HTTP sessions, including username, domain, and source IP address. Compare unexpected sessions with the account’s owner and expected access context.
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Review users logged into managed devices
Device logins are a separate check from Manager web sessions. To inspect SSH/AAA users for a device using Cisco’s documented path, go to Monitor > Devices, select the hostname, choose Real Time, then open Device Options > AAA users. Use the relevant workflow for the device and release under review.
6. Investigate findings and document disposition
- Preserve evidence: Record the relevant event details, timestamps, account, and source context.
- Validate context: Compare the activity with approved change records or maintenance, then confirm with the account owner or identity-management team before attributing intent.
- Resolve access issues: For stale or excessive access, follow the organization’s approved process to narrow role or scope, lock the account, or remove access. Cisco’s user-management guide documents editing, administrative lock, and deletion workflows.
- Check sessions after account changes: Cisco states that deleting a user does not log that user out if already logged in. Review and handle active sessions separately.
- Record the outcome: Document whether the event was expected, the corrective action or rationale, and who approved it.
Release and automation cautions
RBAC capabilities and interface behavior have evolved across releases, including changes to granular scope and policy controls. Confirm procedures against the documentation for the installed release. Do not infer UI retention from an API query window: Cisco API search information has described an audit-log endpoint returning the last three hours, but that detail is not sufficiently established here for implementation and does not establish UI retention or archival duration. Verify the exact endpoint and version before building automated audits.
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