Identity Services EngineApplication · Cisco
CVE-2022-20956
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedA vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to bypass authorization and access system files. This vulnerability is due to improper access control in the web-based management interface of an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request to the affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to list, download, and delete certain files that they should not have access to. Cisco plans to release software updates that address this vulnerability. https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ise-access-contol-EeufSUCx ["https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ise-access-contol-EeufSUCx"]
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceThis is an authorization bypass vulnerability in Cisco ISE's web-based management interface. An authenticated attacker can send crafted HTTP requests to bypass access controls and perform unauthorized file system operations (list, download, delete) on files they should not have access to. The root cause is improper access control implementation in the web interface.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
Identity Services EngineApplication
= 3.1= 3.2CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm Cisco ISE installationIdentify if the system is running Cisco Identity Services Engine by checking the product name or running 'show version' in the ISE CLIAffected if The system is confirmed to be Cisco Identity Services Engine
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Check installed ISE versionRun 'show version' in the ISE CLI or check the ISE administration web interface for the exact version numberAffected if The installed version is 3.1 or 3.2 specifically (exact match to these versions)
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Verify web management interface is enabledCheck if the ISE web-based management interface (GUI) is accessible and enabled by attempting to reach the admin web portal or reviewing network listening servicesAffected if The ISE web management interface is enabled and reachable over the network
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Review HTTP access logs for anomalous file operationsExamine ISE logs for unusual or unauthorized file system access attempts via the web interface, looking for requests to files outside the user's authorized scopeAffected if Logs show HTTP requests accessing files or directories the authenticated user should not have permission to reach
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Check for unauthorized file system modificationsReview system logs and file integrity monitoring tools for evidence of file downloads, listings, or deletions that were not initiated by authorized administratorsAffected if Evidence exists of file system operations performed through the web interface by users lacking proper authorization
A user is affected if they have Cisco ISE versions 3.1 or 3.2 specifically with the web management interface enabled and evidence of unauthorized file access via HTTP requests.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataApply the Cisco software update that addresses this vulnerability. Until patched, limit access to the ISE web management interface to trusted users only and monitor for suspicious file access patterns.
Fix this in Identity Services Engine
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,376.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-20956 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-20956 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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