Strix
26.1K

CVE-2026-20181

CRITICALCVSS 9.1/10EPSS 0.75%

Last modified

CVE-2026-20181 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.1/10 on the CVSS scale. A vulnerability in Cisco ISE and ISE-PIC 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 administrative credentials. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input. EPSS estimates a 0.75% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A vulnerability in Cisco ISE and ISE-PIC 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 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 user-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 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.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
9.1/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability
0.75%

50.2th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

VendorProductVersions
CiscoIdentity Services Engine< 3.3.0
CiscoIdentity Services Engine3.3.0
CiscoIdentity Services Engine3.4.0
CiscoIdentity Services Engine3.5.0
CiscoIdentity Services Engine Passive Identity Connector< 3.3.0
CiscoIdentity Services Engine Passive Identity Connector3.3.0
CiscoIdentity Services Engine Passive Identity Connector3.4.0
CiscoIdentity Services Engine Passive Identity Connector3.5.0

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-20181?
A vulnerability in Cisco ISE and ISE-PIC 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 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 user-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 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.
How severe is CVE-2026-20181?
CVE-2026-20181 has a CVSS score of 9.1/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.75% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-20181?
Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2026-20181?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST