VulnerabilityPublished 5 Nov 2025Updated 4 Dec 2025

CVE-2025-20304: Cisco Identity Services Engine Software · Cross-site Scripting

Affects Cisco Identity Services Engine SoftwareSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.4 Medium.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 10:12 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.4Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 11% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Changed
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: Low
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
Scope: Changed: An exploited vulnerability can affect resources beyond the security scope managed by the security authority of the vulnerable component. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are different and managed by different security authorities.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 5 Nov 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Cisco Cisco Identity Services Engine Software	Affected 3.1.0 – 3.4.0 4 affected builds	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

European organizations should immediately assess their Cisco ISE deployments to identify affected versions and prioritize patching to the latest fixed releases once available. In the interim, implement strict input validation and sanitization controls on the management interface to prevent injection of malicious scripts. Restrict access to the Cisco ISE management interface to trusted networks and enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of compromised credentials. Monitor user activity logs for unusual behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers accessing the interface. Regularly review and minimize user privileges, ensuring that only necessary personnel have access to the management interface. Conduct security awareness training to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that could facilitate user interaction required for exploitation. Network segmentation and isolation of management interfaces can further reduce exposure. Finally, maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans tailored to identity and access management systems.

Description

CVE-2025-20304 is a medium-severity reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) software versions 3.1.0 through 3.4 Patch 3. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can inject malicious scripts into the web-based management interface, potentially executing arbitrary code in the context of the victim's browser. Exploitation requires user interaction and valid credentials but can lead to disclosure of sensitive browser-based information and session hijacking. No known exploits are currently in the wild. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality and integrity but not availability. European organizations using Cisco ISE for network access control and policy enforcement should prioritize patching and implement strict input validation and session management controls. Countries with high Cisco ISE deployment and critical infrastructure reliance on network access control are most at risk.

Impact

For European organizations, the exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information accessible via the Cisco ISE management interface, including session tokens or administrative data. Attackers could leverage this to escalate privileges or manipulate network access policies, potentially undermining network security posture. Given Cisco ISE's role in enforcing network access control and policy compliance, a successful attack could facilitate lateral movement or unauthorized network access within corporate or critical infrastructure environments. Although the vulnerability requires authenticated access and user interaction, insider threats or compromised low-privilege accounts could be leveraged. The impact is particularly critical in sectors with stringent regulatory requirements such as finance, healthcare, and government, where data confidentiality and integrity are paramount. Disruption of network access control policies could also indirectly affect operational continuity. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers often develop exploits post-disclosure.

References

sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ise-multiple-vulns-O9BESWJH (opens in a new tab)

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 11 Dec 2025, 22:17 UTC

Technical details

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