Critical Cisco ISE Vulnerability: Unauthenticated Root Code Execution Risk

TL;DR

• Cisco has disclosed a critical vulnerability in Identity Services Engine (ISE) that allows unauthenticated attackers to execute root code.
• The flaw, tracked as CVE-2025-20337, has a CVSS score of 10.0.
• Immediate patching is recommended to mitigate the risk.

Critical Vulnerability in Cisco ISE

Cisco has recently disclosed a severe security vulnerability affecting its Identity Services Engine (ISE) and Cisco ISE Passive Identity Connector (ISE-PIC). This flaw, designated as CVE-2025-20337, enables attackers to execute arbitrary code on the underlying operating system with elevated privileges. The vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS score of 10.0, indicating its maximum severity.

Impact and Severity

The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to gain root access, posing a significant risk to affected systems. This issue is similar to another critical flaw, CVE-2025-20281, which was previously patched. The high CVSS score underscores the urgent need for organizations to apply the necessary security updates.

Mitigation Steps

To mitigate this risk, Cisco has released patches that address the vulnerability. Organizations using Cisco ISE and ISE-PIC are strongly advised to apply these updates immediately to protect their systems from potential attacks.

Conclusion

The discovery of CVE-2025-20337 highlights the ongoing challenge of securing network infrastructure against evolving threats. Prompt action is essential to safeguard systems and data from unauthorized access and potential breaches.

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