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CVE-2026-20305

Cisco Identity Services Engine Command Injection Vulnerability

Published: Sep 16, 2026Updated: Sep 17, 2026 Sources: CVE List NVDCWE-78
9.1CRITICAL
NVD MITRE
EPSS Score
1.4%
Top 29.4%
CISA KEV
Not in KEV
Exploits
0 Known
Remediation
No Fix Available
Self-Check
Not available

Description

A vulnerability in the diagnostic tools of Cisco ISE and ISE-PIC could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to perform command injection attacks on the underlying operating system and elevate privileges to root. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid administrative credentials. This vulnerability is due to improper validation of user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted commands to the web-based management interface of an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the device and 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 denial of service (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 now

A serious flaw in Cisco Identity Services Engine software lets someone with an administrator login take over the system; typical businesses using it should act now, but no fixed version is available yet.

Executive summary

Authenticated remote command injection (CWE-78) in Cisco ISE diagnostic tools permits an administrator-level attacker to execute arbitrary operating-system commands and elevate to root.

If affected, business impact
Full system takeoverNetwork access disruptionUnauthenticated devices blockedSensitive identity data exposureOperational downtime

What to do now

  1. Check whether your organization runs Cisco Identity Services Engine software, including the Passive Identity Connector, and identify who has administrator access.
  2. Ask Cisco or your support provider for the vendor-recommended fixed version; no patch or fixed version information is currently available.
  3. Until a fix is available, restrict the web management interface to a small set of trusted administrator networks and review administrator accounts for unnecessary access.
May need vendor / contractor work

CVSS Vector Breakdown

AV:NAC:LPR:HUI:NS:CC:HI:HA:H
Exploitability
AV:NAttack Vector
Network
AC:LAttack Complexity
Low
PR:HPrivileges Required
High
UI:NUser Interaction
None
Scope
S:CScope
Changed
Impact
C:HConfidentiality
High
I:HIntegrity
High
A:HAvailability
High
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Weaknesses

CWE-78

Affected Products

Cisco
commercial·USaka cisco systems, cisco systems inc.
Cisco Identity Services Engine Software
Networking Infrastructure
Cisco ISE Passive Identity Connector
Networking Infrastructure

Exploitability

0 exploit sources identified

Exploit details including PoC links, Metasploit modules, and scanner templates are available after registration.

View exploit details
Is your org exposed to CVE-2026-20305?Request an assessment to establish which checks are appropriate for your systems. Check my exposure

Attack Graph

Products CVE Techniques Tactics

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MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique
Execution
View detailed technique mapping

References

https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ise-cmd-inj-e2CuZCYZ
sec.cloudapps.cisco.com
News mentions
1

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