CVE-2026-20186: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection') in Cisco Cisco Identity Services Engine Software
A vulnerability in Cisco Identity Services Engine (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 at least Read Only Admin 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 user-level access to the underlying operating system and then elevate privileges to root. In single-node ISE deployments, successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities could cause the affected ISE node to become unavailable, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. In that condition, endpoints that have not already authenticated would be unable to access the network until the node is restored.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
This vulnerability in Cisco ISE arises from insufficient validation of user-supplied input, enabling command injection via crafted HTTP requests. An attacker with Read Only Admin privileges can execute arbitrary OS commands, escalate privileges to root, and potentially cause denial of service in single-node deployments. The affected versions include multiple releases from 3.1.0 through 3.4 Patch 3. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 9.9, indicating critical severity with network attack vector, low attack complexity, required privileges, no user interaction, and complete confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Potential Impact
An attacker with Read Only Admin credentials can execute arbitrary commands on the underlying OS, escalate privileges to root, and potentially cause denial of service by making the ISE node unavailable. This could disrupt network access for endpoints relying on the affected ISE node for authentication. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the Cisco vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. No official fix or temporary workaround is provided in the available data. Until a patch is available, restrict access to the management interface to trusted administrators only and monitor for suspicious activity from accounts with Read Only Admin privileges.
CVE-2026-20186: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection') in Cisco Cisco Identity Services Engine Software
Description
A vulnerability in Cisco Identity Services Engine (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 at least Read Only Admin 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 user-level access to the underlying operating system and then elevate privileges to root. In single-node ISE deployments, successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities could cause the affected ISE node to become unavailable, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. In that condition, endpoints that have not already authenticated would be unable to access the network until the node is restored.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
This vulnerability in Cisco ISE arises from insufficient validation of user-supplied input, enabling command injection via crafted HTTP requests. An attacker with Read Only Admin privileges can execute arbitrary OS commands, escalate privileges to root, and potentially cause denial of service in single-node deployments. The affected versions include multiple releases from 3.1.0 through 3.4 Patch 3. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 9.9, indicating critical severity with network attack vector, low attack complexity, required privileges, no user interaction, and complete confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Potential Impact
An attacker with Read Only Admin credentials can execute arbitrary commands on the underlying OS, escalate privileges to root, and potentially cause denial of service by making the ISE node unavailable. This could disrupt network access for endpoints relying on the affected ISE node for authentication. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the Cisco vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. No official fix or temporary workaround is provided in the available data. Until a patch is available, restrict access to the management interface to trusted administrators only and monitor for suspicious activity from accounts with Read Only Admin privileges.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- cisco
- Date Reserved
- 2025-10-08T11:59:15.394Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 69dfb9f882d89c981f6ee6be
Added to database: 4/15/2026, 4:16:56 PM
Last enriched: 4/15/2026, 4:31:47 PM
Last updated: 4/15/2026, 6:18:03 PM
Views: 5
Community Reviews
0 reviewsCrowdsource mitigation strategies, share intel context, and vote on the most helpful responses. Sign in to add your voice and help keep defenders ahead.
Want to contribute mitigation steps or threat intel context? Sign in or create an account to join the community discussion.
Actions
Updates to AI analysis require Pro Console access. Upgrade inside Console → Billing.
External Links
Need more coverage?
Upgrade to Pro Console for AI refresh and higher limits.
For incident response and remediation, OffSeq services can help resolve threats faster.
Latest Threats
Check if your credentials are on the dark web
Instant breach scanning across billions of leaked records. Free tier available.