CVE-2025-20337 is a critical vulnerability affecting Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and the Identity Services Engine Passive Identity Connector (ISE-PIC). This vulnerability allows 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, which is particularly concerning given its potential impact.
The severity of this vulnerability is classified as critical, with a CVSS score of 10.0. The implications of such a high score indicate that the risk to organizations includes unauthorized access, data breaches, and potentially complete system compromise. Organizations should prioritize patching immediately.
The exploitation status of this vulnerability is analyzed, and while it is known to be critical, there are currently no public exploits confirmed. Organizations must remain vigilant and monitor for any potential threats associated with this vulnerability.
Given the nature of this vulnerability and its potential to be exploited without authentication, it is crucial for organizations to address it in their patch management cycle swiftly.
Vulnerability Details
The vulnerability exists due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input in a specific API of Cisco ISE and ISE-PIC. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by submitting a crafted API request, leading to the execution of arbitrary code with root privileges on an affected device.
The CVSS vector for this vulnerability is CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H, indicating a network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, and no user interaction needed. The impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability are all rated as high.
This vulnerability was published on July 16, 2025, and classified under CWE-74, which pertains to improper neutralization of special elements in output used by a downstream component.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of CVE-2025-20337 stems from insufficient input validation within the Cisco ISE API. Attackers may leverage this vulnerability through crafted API requests that bypass security checks, allowing unauthorized code execution. The attack vector is network-based, requiring no physical access or user interaction.
The attack complexity is low, as the attacker does not need any valid credentials to exploit the vulnerability. The potential impacts are severe, with high risks to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected systems.
Risk & Impact Analysis
Organizations utilizing Cisco ISE and ISE-PIC face significant risks if CVE-2025-20337 is not promptly addressed. The ability for an unauthenticated remote attacker to gain root access can lead to extensive data breaches, system outages, and compromise of sensitive information.
The blast radius for this vulnerability is substantial, potentially affecting all instances of the products in use without prior authentication. The urgency for remediation is critical, as indicated by the vulnerability's high profile and exploitability status.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | Yes |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
All versions of Cisco Identity Services Engine and Identity Services Engine Passive Identity Connector prior to the application of vendor patches are affected. Specifically, versions 3.3.0 and 3.4.0 are known to be vulnerable.
Mitigation & Remediation
Cisco has released patches to remediate this vulnerability. Organizations are strongly advised to update to the latest versions immediately. If patches are unavailable, consider implementing network segmentation to limit access to affected systems and monitor for unusual API requests.
Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments and consider employing penetration testing to identify any remaining weaknesses in their systems.
Detection Guidance
To detect potential exploitation attempts, organizations should monitor logs for unusual API request patterns, specifically focusing on requests that may contain unexpected or malformed input. Additionally, alerting on privilege escalations and unauthorized access attempts can help identify breaches.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
CVE-2025-20337 represents a critical risk for organizations using Cisco ISE. The pattern of such vulnerabilities indicates a need for continuous improvement in input validation mechanisms across all APIs. Security teams should prioritize this vulnerability and implement robust security testing frameworks.
For further information and best practices, organizations can refer to our comprehensive vulnerability management program to ensure that all potential weaknesses are addressed effectively.
In addition, continuous penetration testing can help organizations stay ahead of emerging threats. For more insights, consult our penetration testing methodology articles.
Finally, organizations are encouraged to explore our cloud penetration testing guide to better secure their cloud environments.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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