Known exploited · Cisco
CVE-2025-20281: Cisco Identity Services Engine Injection Vulnerability
What it is
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.
- Vendor
- Cisco
- Product
- Identity Services Engine
- Added to KEV
- July 28, 2025
- CISA due date
- August 18, 2025
- Ransomware use
- Unknown
What CISA requires
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Forensic triage
No
What to do now
- Find every instance of Identity Services Engine you run, including the forgotten ones, and check its version against the vendor advisory.
- Apply the vendor's fix or mitigation, before August 18, 2025 if you are bound by CISA's deadline, sooner if it faces the internet.
- Assume it was tried against you already: look for signs of exploitation from the date it was added, not from the day you patched.
References
H2 Security
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Start freeSource: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog (public domain), catalog version 2026.10.01.