Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain valid ISE admin credentials
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DeliverySend crafted API request with malicious parameter
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ExploitTrigger SQL injection in backend query
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ExecutionExfiltrate sensitive data and hashed credentials
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ImpactCrack/reuse hashes for further access
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization Parameterized queries, prepared statements
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Initial Access, Persistence The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Requires valid administrative credentials on the affected Cisco ISE device (PR:H per CVSS and explicitly stated in the description), so exploitation is limited to attackers who already hold admin-level access or have compromised such an account. No user interaction is needed (UI:N) and the API is network-reachable (AV:N). The vulnerability lies in insufficient validation of user-supplied parameters in API requests; the attacker sends a single crafted API request. Affects Cisco ISE Software versions 3.1 through 3.5 across numerous patch levels; the primary limiting factor is the administrative-credential prerequisite rather than any non-default configuration. |
| Impact | The vendor CVSS of 4.9 (Medium) is a credible ceiling, not an understatement. The vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N correctly captures a confidentiality-only information-disclosure flaw: network-reachable, low complexity, but gated behind PR:H - the description explicitly requires 'valid administrative credentials.' That PR:H requirement is the dominant risk limiter: an attacker who already holds admin credentials on the ISE node has substantial access, so the marginal gain here is narrow. However, the C:H is meaningful because the disclosed data includes hashed credentials, which feed offline cracking or credential-reuse against other systems - an escalation/lateral-movement primitive rather than a one-off leak. No EPSS score, no CISA KEV listing, and no public POC were provided, so there is no signal of active or imminent exploitation; this reads as a targeted, post-authentication data-exposure issue rather than a mass-exploitable entry point. Note a taxonomy tension: CWE-89 (SQL Injection) and the 'SQLi' tag imply injection into the backend DB, yet the impact is strictly read-only (I:N/A:N) info disclosure, consistent with a blind/read SQLi limited to data exfiltration - verify with the Cisco advisory (cisco-sa-ise-inf-disc-LFWvcCu) whether write/modify is truly impossible. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who has obtained valid ISE administrative credentials (via phishing, reuse, or a lower-privilege foothold) sends a crafted API request with malicious parameter values that are insufficiently validated, injecting into a backend SQL query. The response leaks sensitive data including hashed credentials, which the attacker then cracks or replays to broaden access. No public exploit code is identified at time of analysis. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 16, 2026
Authenticated remote attackers holding valid administrative credentials can read sensitive data - including hashed credentials usable in follow-on attacks - from Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) by sending a single crafted API request that is improperly validated and reaches the backend as SQL (CWE-89). The flaw affects ISE Software across the 3.1.x, 3.2.x, 3.3.x, 3.4.x and 3.5 branches at numerous patch levels; exploitation requires administrator-level privileges (PR:H) but no user interaction, and the API is network-reachable. Cisco's own CVSS of 4.9 (Medium) is a credible ceiling rather than an understatement, because the high-privilege prerequisite sharply limits who can trigger it; no public exploit code or confirmed active exploitation was identified at time of analysis.
RemediationAI
No vendor-released patch version was identified in the available data, so the Cisco security advisory at https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ise-inf-disc-LFWvcCu must be consulted for the fixed software release and upgrade path for each affected branch (3.1.0, 3.2.x, 3.3.x, 3.4.x, 3.5.x), and upgrading to that confirmed build is the primary remediation. Because exploitation requires valid administrative credentials, the highest-value compensating controls are credential- and access-centric: enforce least-privilege RBAC on ISE admin accounts so only personnel who truly need full administrative rights hold them (trade-off: legitimate operations and troubleshooting may require temporary elevation), restrict network access to the ISE administrative API and GUI to dedicated management subnets or jump hosts via ACLs and firewalls (trade-off: breaks remote administration from general user VLANs and may complicate distributed deployments), and enforce multifactor authentication on all administrative logins (trade-off: adds a dependency on the MFA provider for break-glass access). Assume any pre-patch exposure may have leaked hashed credentials - prioritize rotation of ISE admin and other accounts whose hashes reside in the affected store, and use strong hashing/credential policy where configurable. Finally, enable and centralize ISE audit/API logging and alert on anomalous or unexpectedly shaped API requests from administrative accounts, since the single-request nature of the exploit means detection depends on request inspection rather than volumetric anomalies; there is no evidence of public exploit code or active exploitation, so these measures are precautionary hardening rather than emergency containment.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
The affected technology is Cisco Identity Services Engine, the network access control and identity platform that handles RADIUS/TACACS+ authentication, 802.1X, posture assessment, guest and device administration for enterprise networks - meaning its internal store of credential material is unusually high value. The CPE entry cpe:2.3:a:cisco:cisco_identity_services_engine_software:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* is a wildcard that maps to the whole ISE Software product family, and the EUVD affected-version list enumerates concrete builds from 3.1.0 (base and patch levels p1 through p11, plus p72) through 3.5.0/3.5 Patch 3, confirming the defect is present across the full supported release train rather than a single build. Tagged as SQLi and classified under CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command), the root cause is insufficient validation of user-supplied parameters in API requests: attacker-controlled input is passed into a database query without proper parameterization or escaping, so a crafted request can alter the query and return data the caller should not see, including hashed credentials. The CVSS vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N describes exactly that profile - trivial to execute once an administrator session exists, network reachable, no user interaction, full confidentiality loss, and no integrity or availability impact; the assessment's exploitability narrative matches this, noting the only real barrier is possession of valid admin credentials, not any non-default configuration.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Network API reachable with low complexity but requires valid admin credentials (PR:H); impact is confidentiality-only disclosure of hashed credentials, so I:N/A:N and S:U.
Primary rating from Vendor (cisco).
CVSS VectorVendor: cisco
DescriptionCVE.org
A vulnerability in the API of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to view sensitive information on an affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid administrative credentials.
This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied parameters in API requests. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted API request to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to gain access to sensitive information, including hashed credentials that could be used in future attacks.
Zero Day Initiative Advisories
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
SQL injection exploits the way applications construct database queries by mixing user input directly into SQL statements.
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Remote code execution and privilege escalation in Cisco Identity Services Engine allows authenticated attackers with Rea
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SQL injection in the SXP REST API of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) lets a remote attacker who already holds valid
Command injection in Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) allows an authenticated, high-privileged remote administrator
Improper input validation in Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and Cisco ISE Passive Identity Connector (ISE-PIC) all
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and ISE Passive Identity Connector (ISE-PIC) contain multiple internally discovered
EUVD-2026-81149
GHSA-728x-68rc-w7wm
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Exploit-DB