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Fencer Vulns
critical 10.0

CVE-2025-20281 kev in the critical feed json

Cisco ISE API Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

published 2025-06-25 16 mo ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also EUVD-2025-19167

cvss
10.0
version 3.1, CNA
cisa kev
Exploited
added 2025-07-28
epss
97.6%
EPSS 97.6% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 99.9%
public exploits
0
none known, plus a Nuclei check

Summary

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.

Patch / fix

cisa 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.

Timeline

  1. Published
  2. CISA SSVC: exploitation active
  3. Added to CISA KEV
  4. CISA patch deadline

Known exploited

Added
15 mo ago
Patch by
2025-08-18 (14 mo ago)
Ransomware
Not known
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.
Vendor, product
Cisco, Identity Services Engine
CISA name
Cisco Identity Services Engine Injection Vulnerability

ATT&CK techniques

How it is exploited and what it leads to, in MITRE ATT&CK terms.

  • T1106 Native API exploitation
  • T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter primary impact

kev release 2025-07-28, att&ck v16.1. KEV to ATT&CK mappings by the MITRE Center for Threat-Informed Defense (Mappings Explorer, Apache-2.0). © 2026 The MITRE Corporation. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of The MITRE Corporation. Terms of use

CISA SSVC

Exploitation
Active, exploited in the wild
Automatable
yes
Technical impact
total
Assessed
15 mo ago

Exploit prediction

97.60% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 99.9% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

Exploits and checks

  • Nuclei template Cisco ISE - Remote Code Execution nuclei detection template
  • zerodayinitiative.com https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/blog/2025/7/24/cve-2025-20281-cisco-ise-api-unauthenticated-remote-code-execution-vulnerability referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
CNA 3.1 10.0 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

  • Cisco Cisco Identity Services Engine Software

Classification

Weakness
  • CWE-74 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component

References

Sources

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.