CVE-2026-20176
CRITICAL 9.1 ALL-YEARSA vulnerability in Cisco ISE 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 high-privileged 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 system-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 DoS condition. In that condition, endpoints that have not already authenticated would be unable to access the network until the node is restored.
Severe if exploited (CVSS 9.1), but no confirmed exploitation. Patch on a normal cadence.
Exploitation likelihood
0.8%chance of exploitation in 30 days · 55th percentile
Impact if exploited
9.1CVSS 3.1 · CRITICAL · CNA
- ConfidentialityHigh
- IntegrityHigh
- AvailabilityHigh
What an attacker needs
- ✓Access: Reachable over the network — no local access needed
- ⚠Privileges: Requires an admin / high-privilege account
- ✓User interaction: No user interaction needed
- ✓Complexity: No special conditions — reliably repeatable
✓ lowers the bar for an attacker · ⚠ raises it
Proof of concept & exploit code
No public exploit or proof-of-concept code is catalogued for this CVE (no ExploitDB, Nuclei, or CISA-KEV entry). It may still exist — search GitHub or check the references below.
Weakness (CWE)
- CWE-77: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection')
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
All CVSS metrics
- CRITICAL 9.1 v3.1 · CNA Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - CRITICAL 9.1 v3.1 · NVD Secondary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H