CVEs / CVE-2025-20281
CVE-2025-20281: Cisco Identity Services Engine Injection Vulnerability
- Known exploited in the CISA KEV catalog since 28 Jul 2025
- critical 10 CVSS 3.1 (from the CNA)
- EPSS 97.6% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 99% of CVEs (30 Oct 2026)
- Last changed at its sources
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Summary
Cisco Identity Services Engine contains an injection vulnerability in a specific API of Cisco ISE and Cisco ISE-PIC due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input allowing an attacker to exploit this vulnerability by submitting a crafted API request. Successful exploitation could allow an attacker to perform remote code execution and obtaining root privileges on an affected device.
Description
A vulnerability in a specific API of Cisco ISE and Cisco ISE-PIC could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the underlying operating system as root. The attacker does not require any valid credentials to exploit this vulnerability. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by submitting a crafted API request. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to obtain root privileges on an affected device.
Affected and fixed versions
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Cisco Cisco Identity Services Engine Software | 3.3.0 | — |
| Cisco Cisco Identity Services Engine Software | 3.3 Patch 2 | — |
| Cisco Cisco Identity Services Engine Software | 3.3 Patch 1 | — |
| Cisco Cisco Identity Services Engine Software | 3.3 Patch 3 | — |
| Cisco Cisco Identity Services Engine Software | 3.4.0 | — |
| Cisco Cisco Identity Services Engine Software | 3.3 Patch 4 | — |
| Cisco Cisco Identity Services Engine Software | 3.4 Patch 1 | — |
| Cisco Cisco Identity Services Engine Software | 3.3 Patch 5 | — |
| Cisco Cisco Identity Services Engine Software | 3.3 Patch 6 | — |
Exploitation
| In CISA KEV since | 28 Jul 2025 |
|---|---|
| Due date for US federal agencies | 18 Aug 2025 |
| Used in ransomware campaigns | Unknown |
| Required action | Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. |
Severity
| CVSS 3.1 | 10 criticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HScored by the CNA ([email protected]) |
|---|---|
| Weakness | CWE-74 |
References
- CVE-2025-20281 on NVD
- CVE-2025-20281 in the CISA KEV catalog
- https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ise-unauth-rce-ZAd2GnJ6 (cited by CISA)
- https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ise-unauth-rce-ZAd2GnJ6 Vendor Advisory
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-20281 US Government Resource
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/blog/2025/7/24/cve-2025-20281-cisco-ise-api-unauthenticated-remote-code-execution-vulnerability Exploit, Third Party Advisory
Sources
Exploitation status from the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. EPSS scores from FIRST. Descriptions, severity and references from the National Vulnerability Database. Open-source package versions from OSV (CC-BY 4.0). Text is shown as each source states it; Stackurity does not edit it. Check the vendor's advisory before acting.
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.