---
title: "CISA Warns of Actively Exploited Ivanti EPMM Vulnerability"
short_title: "Critical Ivanti EPMM vulnerability under attack"
description: "CISA adds CVE-2026-1281, a code injection flaw in Ivanti EPMM, to its KEV Catalog. Federal agencies and organizations urged to patch immediately."
author: "Vitus"
date: 2025-01-24
categories: [Cybersecurity, Vulnerabilities]
tags: [cisa, ivanti, cve-2026-1281, vulnerability-management, threat-intelligence]
score: 0.85
cve_ids: [CVE-2026-1281]
---
TL;DR
CISA has added CVE-2026-1281, a critical code injection vulnerability in Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM), to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalog due to evidence of active exploitation. Federal agencies must patch by the deadline, while all organizations are urged to prioritize remediation to mitigate risks.
---
Main Content
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has escalated its response to a critical vulnerability in Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM) by adding CVE-2026-1281 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalog. This move follows confirmed reports of active exploitation, underscoring the urgency for organizations to address the flaw immediately.
Key Points
- CVE-2026-1281 is a code injection vulnerability in Ivanti EPMM, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary commands on vulnerable systems.
- The flaw poses significant risks to federal agencies and enterprises, as it is being actively exploited in the wild.
- Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 22-01 mandates Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies to remediate the vulnerability by the specified deadline.
- While BOD 22-01 applies only to federal agencies, CISA strongly recommends all organizations prioritize patching this vulnerability to reduce exposure to cyberattacks.
Technical Details
CVE-2026-1281 is a code injection vulnerability that allows threat actors to inject and execute malicious code on vulnerable Ivanti EPMM systems. The flaw stems from improper input validation, enabling attackers to bypass security controls and gain unauthorized access. Exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to full system compromise, data theft, or lateral movement within a network.
Attack Vector
Threat actors can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted requests to the affected Ivanti EPMM instance. Successful exploitation does not require user interaction, making it particularly dangerous for unpatched systems.
Impact Assessment
The inclusion of CVE-2026-1281 in CISA’s KEV Catalog highlights its severity and the immediate threat it poses. Organizations using Ivanti EPMM are at risk of:
- Unauthorized system access and data breaches.
- Disruption of critical operations, particularly in federal and enterprise environments.
- Further exploitation by advanced persistent threat (APT) groups targeting high-value targets.
Mitigation Steps
CISA and Ivanti have outlined the following steps to mitigate the risk:
1. Apply the latest security patches provided by Ivanti immediately.
2. Isolate vulnerable systems from the network until patches can be applied.
3. Monitor for suspicious activity using intrusion detection systems (IDS) and endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools.
4. Review and enforce least-privilege access controls to limit potential damage from exploitation.
Affected Systems
- Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM) versions vulnerable to CVE-2026-1281.
---
Conclusion
The addition of CVE-2026-1281 to CISA’s KEV Catalog serves as a critical reminder of the ongoing threats posed by unpatched vulnerabilities. Organizations must act swiftly to remediate this flaw, particularly as threat actors continue to exploit it in the wild. Federal agencies are bound by BOD 22-01 to address the issue promptly, but all enterprises should prioritize patching to safeguard their systems and data.
For more information, refer to CISA’s [official advisory](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2026/01/29/cisa-adds-one-known-exploited-vulnerability-catalog) and Ivanti’s security updates.
---
References
[^1]: CISA. "[CISA Adds One Known Exploited Vulnerability to Catalog](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2026/01/29/cisa-adds-one-known-exploited-vulnerability-catalog)". Retrieved 2025-01-24.
[^2]: CVE. "[CVE-2026-1281 Detail](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-1281)". Retrieved 2025-01-24.