CVE-2026-20029 - Cisco Identity Services Engine Software Plugin
CVE-2026-20029
A vulnerability in the licensing features of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and Cisco ISE Passive Identity Connector (ISE-PIC) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker with administrative privileges to gain access to sensitive information.
This vulnerability is due to improper parsing of XML that is processed by the web-based management interface of Cisco ISE and Cisco ISE-PIC. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by uploading a malicious file to the application. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read arbitrary files from the underlying operating system that could include sensitive data that should otherwise be inaccessible even to administrators. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid administrative credentials.
CVE-2026-20029
MEDIUM
CVSS 4.9
Published 2026-01-07
Updated 2026-01-08
AI Risk Moderate (43/100)
Active Exploit: No strong signal
Published Exploit: No public exploit references
Priority: P4 Planned
Severity Band
MEDIUM
CVSS Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Affected Components
1
Reference Links
1
AI Risk Engine
Moderate (43/100)
Exploitability
Low
Active Exploitation
No strong signal
Published Exploit Status
No public exploit references
AI Context
Machine-generated threat intelligence
AI
Updated 16 days ago
AI enriched 16 days ago (2026-04-09 06:10 UTC)
Technical Summary
A vulnerability in the licensing features of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and Cisco ISE Passive Identity Connector (ISE-PIC) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker with administrative privileges to gain access to sensitive information. This vulnerability is due to improper parsing of XML that is processed by the web-based management interface of Cisco ISE and Cisco ISE-PIC. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by uploading a malicious file to the application. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read arbitrary…
Potential Impact
Severity is MEDIUM (CVSS 4.9). Depending on deployment context, affected components may be exposed to unauthorized actions or data integrity risk.
Exploitability Assessment
Exploitability is assessed as Low based on severity and technical exposure profile.
Primary risk drivers: severity and technical exposure profile
Mitigation Recommendations
Validate affected product versions, prioritize patching, and monitor references for vendor remediation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, apply compensating controls and limit exposure of vulnerable surfaces.
Detection & Monitoring
Track authentication anomalies, unexpected file writes, and suspicious plugin API activity around affected components.
Business Impact Lens
Prioritize remediation where affected components process customer data, admin sessions, or Internet-exposed workflows.
