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Introduction:
Cisco has issued a warning about a serious vulnerability affecting its Identity Services Engine (ISE) when deployed on major cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). This vulnerability, with a near-perfect CVSS score of 9.9, could give malicious actors the ability to access sensitive data, modify system configurations, and carry out other unauthorized actions on cloud environments. This article explores the technical details of the issue, the potential risks involved, and expert insights into how organizations can safeguard against such threats.
The Vulnerability at a Glance
The vulnerability in question, tracked as CVE-2025-20286, stems from incorrect credential generation during the deployment of Cisco ISE on cloud platforms. This flaw affects Cisco ISE deployments across various cloud services, including AWS, Azure, and Oracle Cloud. Due to this issue, multiple deployments of Cisco ISE on the same cloud platform, and with the same software release, share identical credentials, which is a significant security risk.
A malicious actor can exploit this static credential vulnerability by extracting user credentials from one deployment of Cisco ISE and using them to access other instances of Cisco ISE deployed on the same cloud platform. Such unauthorized access could potentially lead to an array of malicious activities, such as accessing sensitive data, altering system configurations, or disrupting service operations within the affected cloud environments. While a proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit has been observed, there have been no confirmed reports of the vulnerability being actively exploited in the wild at the time of publication.
The impacted versions of Cisco ISE include those deployed on:
AWS (versions 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4)
Azure (versions 3.2, 3.3, 3.4)
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (versions 3.2, 3.3, 3.4)
Despite the existence of this vulnerability, Cisco has not yet provided a patch or specific mitigation guidance, further raising concerns among organizations relying on these cloud-based deployments.
What Undercode Says:
This vulnerability is particularly alarming due to its high CVSS score of 9.9, indicating it is a critical issue that could have far-reaching consequences if exploited. The fact that multiple cloud environments are using the same credentials makes this problem even more severe. An attacker could potentially gain access to several organizations’ deployments of Cisco ISE, exposing them to unauthorized administrative actions or allowing attackers to compromise critical data.
What makes this vulnerability even more concerning is the ease with which it can be exploited. With a proof-of-concept exploit already in existence, it’s only a matter of time before malicious actors begin actively exploiting this weakness, especially if more information becomes publicly available. Additionally, the fact that the issue spans multiple cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, OCI) significantly broadens the scope of potential targets.
In terms of mitigations, the current lack of specific guidance from Cisco means that organizations must remain vigilant. It’s essential to track the vulnerability and apply any future patches or fixes that Cisco releases as soon as they become available. For now, it would be wise for organizations to closely monitor the configurations of their Cisco ISE deployments and conduct thorough security audits to identify any potential weaknesses.
Moreover, with the increasing reliance on cloud infrastructure and the interconnectedness of modern IT environments, vulnerabilities like this underscore the importance of adopting a robust cloud security strategy. Enterprises should ensure that their cloud deployments are adequately secured through best practices, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), strong access controls, and constant monitoring of security logs.
Fact Checker Results ✅
- CVE-2025-20286 Validated: The vulnerability related to static credential sharing across different Cisco ISE deployments on cloud platforms has been confirmed, with a CVSS score of 9.9. ✅
- Exploit Existence: A proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit is available, though there are no confirmed cases of active exploitation in the wild as of now. ✅
- No Immediate Fix Available: Cisco has acknowledged the issue but has not yet released a patch or specific mitigation instructions. Organizations must monitor for updates. ✅
Prediction 📈
Given the critical nature of the vulnerability and its widespread impact on major cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and Oracle Cloud, it’s likely that attackers will soon begin targeting organizations with Cisco ISE deployments if they have not already done so. The existing PoC exploit is a significant indication that this vulnerability will soon be actively exploited if corrective measures are not swiftly put in place. Consequently, organizations must prioritize securing their cloud environments and remain proactive in patch management to mitigate the risk of an exploit that could compromise sensitive information and disrupt business continuity.
References:
Reported By: www.darkreading.com
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