Cisco Identity Services Engine Injection Vulnerability
Cisco — Cisco Identity Services Engine Software
A vulnerability in a specific API of Cisco ISE and Cisco ISE-PIC could allow 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. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by submitting a crafted API request. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to obtain root privileges on an affected device.
10.0
97.1%
Vector breakdown
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Published
- Jun 25, 2025
- Modified
- Jun 17, 2026
- Added to KEV
- Jul 28, 2025
- Federal patch due
- Aug 18, 2025
CISA required action
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Weakness classification
Affected packages
Proof-of-concept & exploitation references
3 foundWeaponization
Public repositories whose name or description references CVE-2025-20281, found via a live GitHub search at request time. These are community-sourced signals, not a verified working exploit - cross-check each one before relying on it, and treat higher star counts and recent activity as (weak) corroboration, not proof.
- abrewer251/CVE-2025-20281-2-Cisco-ISE-RCE★ 21
Unauthenticated Python PoC for CVE-2025-20281 RCE against ISE ERS API
updated Jun 16, 2026
- grupooruss/CVE-2025-20281-Cisco★ 8
This script checks for the presence of the **CVE-2025-20281** vulnerability in Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and ISE-PIC, which allows **unauthenticated remote code execution (RCE)** as root due to insufficient input validation in a specific API.
updated Aug 13, 2026
- ill-deed/Cisco-CVE-2025-20281-illdeed★ 5
Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution exploit for CVE-2025-20281 in Cisco ISE ERS API. Execute commands or launch reverse shells as root — no authentication required.
updated Jan 21, 2026
References
Frequently asked questions
What is CVE-2025-20281?
A vulnerability in a specific API of Cisco ISE and Cisco ISE-PIC could allow 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. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by submitting a crafted API request. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to obtain root privileges on an affected device.
How severe is CVE-2025-20281?
CVE-2025-20281 has a CVSS base score of 10.0 out of 10 (CVSS 3.1).
Is CVE-2025-20281 actively exploited in the wild?
Yes. CVE-2025-20281 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added Jul 28, 2025, meaning CISA has confirmed evidence of active exploitation.
What is the EPSS score for CVE-2025-20281?
97.1% - meaning FIRST.org's EPSS model estimates a 97.1% probability this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within 30 days (100% percentile among all scored CVEs).
Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2025-20281?
Yes - a public Nuclei template referencing CVE-2025-20281 exist in public repositories we checked. We also found 3 public GitHub repositories referencing this CVE.
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2025-20281?
CVE-2025-20281 is classified under CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')).
Cross-checked against
Impactr finds and proves whether CVE-2025-20281 - or flaws like it - are actually reachable in your own web apps and APIs, with a reproducible exploit as evidence.
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