{"id":"CVE-2025-20337","published":"2025-07-16T17:15:30Z","modified":"2026-06-17T08:41:29Z","title":"Cisco Identity Services Engine Injection Vulnerability","vendor":"Cisco","product":"Identity Services Engine","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"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.\r\n\r\nThis 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.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"A flaw caused by insufficient validation of user-supplied input in a specific API of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and Cisco ISE-PIC lets an attacker run arbitrary code on the underlying operating system with root privileges. An unauthenticated attacker on the network can exploit it without valid credentials, using a crafted API request and no user interaction.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-31T22:22:13Z"},"cvss":{"score":10.0,"severity":"CRITICAL","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.74499,"percentile":0.99495,"date":"2026-10-31","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2025-07-28","dueDate":"2025-08-18","ransomware":false,"requiredAction":"Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.","notes":"https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ise-unauth-rce-ZAd2GnJ6 ; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-20337","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2025-07-21","exploitedFirstSeen":"2025-07-21","ransomware":false,"evidence":[{"url":"https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ise-unauth-rce-ZAd2GnJ6","date":"2025-07-21"},{"url":"https://cyberscoop.com/cisco-identity-services-engines-active-exploits/","date":"2025-07-23"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2025-07-28"},{"url":"https://cert.europa.eu/publications/threat-intelligence/cb25-08/","date":"2025-08-04"},{"url":"https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/security/amazon-discovers-apt-exploiting-cisco-and-citrix-zero-days/","date":"2025-11-12"},{"url":"https://www.rapid7.com/cdn/assets/bltbd2f1cd70f9e3e7f/691360b9c91291146f1a5308/threat-landscape-report-q3-2025.pdf","date":"2025-11-12"},{"url":"https://research.checkpoint.com/2025/17th-november-threat-intelligence-report/","date":"2025-11-17"},{"url":"https://cyble.com/resources/research-reports/global-cybersecurity-report/","date":"2025-12-11"},{"url":"https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/security/real-time-malware-defense-leveraging-aws-network-firewall-active-threat-defense/","date":"2026-01-08"},{"url":"https://www.loginsoft.com/reports/annually/vulnerability-intelligence-report-2025","date":"2026-01-20"}],"evidenceTotal":10,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":null,"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-74","name":"Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component"}],"references":[{"url":"https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ise-unauth-rce-ZAd2GnJ6","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-20337","tags":["US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1106","name":"Native API","tactics":["execution"],"provenance":"source","basis":"ctid-kev","bases":["ctid-kev"],"basisDetail":"CTID Mappings Explorer KEV 07/28/2025 (ATT&CK 16.1); capability: Command Injection","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[],"comment":"This vulnerability, present in the API in Cisco ISE and Cisco ISE-PIC, allows for an attacker to use maliciously crafted API requests to a vulnerable device. If exploited, the attacker can gain the ability to execute arbitrary code at the root level.","confidence":"high"},{"id":"T1059","name":"Command and Scripting Interpreter","tactics":["execution"],"provenance":"source","basis":"ctid-kev","bases":["ctid-kev"],"basisDetail":"CTID Mappings Explorer KEV 07/28/2025 (ATT&CK 16.1); capability: Command Injection","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[],"comment":"This vulnerability, present in the API in Cisco ISE and Cisco ISE-PIC, allows for an attacker to use maliciously crafted API requests to a vulnerable device. If exploited, the attacker can gain the ability to execute arbitrary code at the root level.","confidence":"high"}],"reports":[],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2025-21708","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2025-21708","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2025-07-28","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[],"exploitSources":null,"exploitRefs":[],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1106"],"provenance":"source"},{"stage":"primary","techniques":["T1059"],"provenance":"source"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2025-07-16","kind":"published","label":"Published (NVD)","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-20337","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2025-07-21","kind":"exploited-reported","label":"Exploitation first reported (VulnCheck KEV evidence)","url":"https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ise-unauth-rce-ZAd2GnJ6","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2025-07-28","kind":"kev","label":"Added to CISA KEV","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2025-07-28","kind":"euvd-exploited","label":"ENISA EUVD: exploited","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2025-21708","provenance":"source"}],"speed":{"daysToPublicExploit":null,"firstExploitFrom":null,"daysToKev":12},"priority":{"score":61.9,"factors":[{"name":"In a KEV catalog","points":35.0,"detail":"listed in CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV"},{"name":"Recent KEV listing","points":0.0,"detail":"added 468 days ago"},{"name":"Known ransomware use","points":0.0,"detail":"not known"},{"name":"EPSS percentile","points":19.9,"detail":"percentile 0.9950"},{"name":"Named in threat reports","points":0.0,"detail":"0 reports"},{"name":"Public exploit code","points":0.0,"detail":"none found"},{"name":"Mentioned in OTX pulses","points":0.0,"detail":"0 pulses"},{"name":"CVSS severity","points":7.0,"detail":"base score 10.0"},{"name":"End-of-life product","points":0.0,"detail":"supported or unknown"}]}}