CVE-2026-20176
Cisco Identity Services Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Description
A vulnerability in Cisco ISE could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system of an affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid high-privileged administrative credentials. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to obtain system-level access to the underlying operating system and then elevate privileges to root. In single-node deployments, successful exploitation of this vulnerability could cause the affected ISE node to become unavailable, resulting in a DoS condition. In that condition, endpoints that have not already authenticated would be unable to access the network until the node is restored.
In plain language
AI Act nowCisco Identity Services Engine Software has a critical flaw that can let a privileged administrator take over the appliance, so affected small businesses should treat it as urgent.
Authenticated remote command execution in Cisco Identity Services Engine Software through insufficient validation of user-supplied input (CWE-77), requiring high-privileged administrative credentials.
What to do now
- Check whether you run Cisco Identity Services Engine Software and identify every account with high-privileged administrative access.
- Restrict its administration interface to a dedicated management network and remove internet exposure.
- No fixed version has been published in the available findings; contact Cisco or your support provider for the vendor-approved remediation.
CVSS Vector Breakdown
AV:NAttack VectorAC:LAttack ComplexityPR:HPrivileges RequiredUI:NUser InteractionS:CScopeC:HConfidentialityI:HIntegrityA:HAvailabilityWeaknesses
Affected Products
Exploitability
Exploit details including PoC links, Metasploit modules, and scanner templates are available after registration.
View exploit detailsAttack Graph
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MITRE ATT&CK
1 techniqueReferences
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