Ethical Hacking News
Cisco has confirmed that its ISE and ISE-PIC solutions are under attack due to multiple critical vulnerabilities. Organizations relying on these products must act swiftly to patch the flaws and protect themselves against potential cyber threats.
Cisco has confirmed active exploitation of vulnerabilities in its ISE and ISE-PIC products. The vulnerabilities, if exploited, could allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to issue commands on the underlying operating system as the root user. A critical flaw (CVE-2025-20281) affects Cisco ISE/ISE-PIC 3.3+ versions and allows for arbitrary code execution due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input. The exploitation of these vulnerabilities poses significant risks to organizations that rely on the ISE and ISE-PIC solutions. Cisco strongly advises customers to upgrade to a fixed software release to remediate these vulnerabilities.
Cisco has recently confirmed that active exploitation of vulnerabilities in its Identity Services Engine (ISE) and ISE Passive Identity Connector (ISE-PIC) is underway. This development marks a significant escalation in the threat landscape for organizations relying on Cisco's security solutions, highlighting the need for prompt attention to patch these flaws.
The confirmation comes after a series of disclosures by Cisco earlier this year, which revealed multiple vulnerabilities in its ISE and ISE-PIC products (CVE-2025-20281, CVE-2025-20282, and CVE-2025-20337). These vulnerabilities, if exploited, could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to issue commands on the underlying operating system as the root user. The critical flaw in question, CVE-2025-20281, affects Cisco ISE/ISE-PIC 3.3+ versions and allows for arbitrary code execution via a vulnerable API due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input.
The vulnerability is considered severe because it enables an attacker to obtain root privileges on an affected device. This can lead to significant risks for organizations that rely heavily on the ISE and ISE-PIC solutions for authentication, authorization, and identity management. Furthermore, the existence of this flaw underscores the importance of keeping software up-to-date with the latest security patches.
The exploitation of CVE-2025-20337 is similarly concerning as it allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the underlying operating system with root privileges. This vulnerability has a similar impact to CVE-2025-20281 and highlights the need for organizations to take immediate action to address these flaws.
Cisco's confirmation of active exploitation comes after detecting attacks in July 2025. In response, Cisco strongly advises customers to upgrade to a fixed software release to remediate these vulnerabilities. This warning underscores the importance of staying proactive about cybersecurity, as delays can lead to increased exposure to risks and potential data breaches.
The announcement marks a critical development in the ongoing efforts to address the growing threat landscape for enterprise security. As more vulnerabilities are discovered in high-profile products, it is essential for organizations to stay vigilant and take swift action to patch these flaws. The active exploitation of ISE and ISE-PIC vulnerabilities serves as a stark reminder that cybersecurity is an ever-evolving challenge that requires constant attention.
In conclusion, the confirmation by Cisco of active exploitation of ISE and ISE-PIC flaws underscores the need for organizations to prioritize security and take immediate action to address these critical vulnerabilities. By doing so, they can minimize exposure to risks and safeguard their sensitive data from potential threats.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Cisco-Confirms-Active-Exploitation-of-ISE-and-ISE-PIC-Flaws-A-Growing-Concern-for-Enterprise-Security-ehn.shtml
https://securityaffairs.com/180260/hacking/cisco-confirms-active-exploitation-of-ise-and-ise-pic-flaws.html
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-20281
https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2025-20281/
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-20282
https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2025-20282/
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-20337
https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2025-20337/
Published: Tue Jul 22 15:47:26 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M