Cisco ISE API Authorization Bypass: A Critical Vulnerability
On February 5, 2025, Cisco published details of a critical vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-20125, affecting multiple versions of the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and its Passive Identity Connector. This flaw exposes systems to unauthorized changes, even when attackers possess only read-only administrative credentials.
Understanding the Vulnerability
This vulnerability arises from improper authorization checks (categorized under CWE-285) within a specific API endpoint of Cisco ISE. Affected systems do not correctly validate user permissions, allowing low-privilege users to:
- Access sensitive information
- Modify system configurations
- Restart the device
The root causes include:
- Insufficient authorization enforcement
- Improper validation of user-supplied input
Even though an attacker must have valid read-only credentials, exploitation can result in severe consequences, especially in single-node deployments where authentication services are disrupted during a system reload.
CVSS Score and Technical Impact
This vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.1 (CRITICAL), calculated from the following vector string:
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:H
This scoring reflects the following attributes:
- Attack Vector (AV): Network – remotely exploitable
- Attack Complexity (AC): Low – requires minimal effort
- Privileges Required (PR): Low – read-only access is sufficient
- User Interaction (UI): None – no user action required
- Scope: Changed – impacts resources beyond the vulnerable component
- Confidentiality/Integrity Impact: Low
- Availability Impact: High – device reloads can disrupt services
Affected Versions
The vulnerability affects a wide range of Cisco ISE software versions from 2.7.0 patch 8 to 3.3.0 and various patches. The Passive Identity Connector for versions 3.0.0 to 3.3.0 is also impacted. For a complete list, refer to the official advisory linked below.
Mitigation and Remediation
Cisco has released security advisories and encourages all users to upgrade to fixed software versions. No workarounds are currently available. Organizations should:
- Restrict access to the vulnerable API endpoints
- Regularly audit privilege levels for administrative users
- Monitor systems for abnormal configuration changes
Public Disclosure and Exploitation
As of publication, no public exploitation or active attacks have been reported. However, due to the vulnerability’s severity and scope, timely patching is critical.
References
Conclusion
CVE-2025-20125 highlights the importance of robust authorization mechanisms in API design. Even with restricted credentials, attackers can severely compromise enterprise infrastructure if backend validations are insufficient. Cisco users are strongly urged to verify their software versions and apply the necessary patches immediately.