Identity Services EngineApplication · Cisco
CVE-2025-20264
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 the authorization mechanisms for specific administrative functions. This vulnerability is due to insufficient authorization enforcement mechanisms for users created by SAML SSO integration with an external identity provider. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by submitting a series of specific commands to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to modify a limited number of system settings, including some that would result in a system restart. In single-node Cisco ISE deployments, devices that are not authenticated to the network will not be able to authenticate until the Cisco ISE system comes back online.
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. The flaw stems from insufficient authorization enforcement for users authenticated via SAML SSO integration with external identity providers. An authenticated attacker can submit specific commands to bypass authorization and modify certain system settings, including those that trigger system restart.
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
= 3.0.0= 3.1.0= 3.2.0= 3.3.0= 3.4.0CVSS 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
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:L
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.
-
Identify Cisco ISE installation and versionLocate the Cisco ISE installation and determine its version by checking the system or application documentation, running version commands, or accessing the management interface version information. Compare the installed version against the affected range: 3.0.0, 3.1.0, 3.2.0, 3.3.0, 3.4.0.Affected if The installed Cisco ISE version is 3.0.0, 3.1.0, 3.2.0, 3.3.0, or 3.4.0.
-
Determine if SAML SSO authentication is configuredAccess the Cisco ISE web-based management interface and navigate to the authentication settings or Identity Provider (IdP) configuration section. Check whether SAML SSO integration with external identity providers is enabled for administrative or user access.Affected if SAML SSO authentication is enabled and in use for the Cisco ISE management interface.
-
Review system configuration for unauthorized changesExamine the current system configuration settings through the management interface, specifically looking for unexpected modifications to system settings, network configurations, or administrative parameters that could indicate exploitation.Affected if Unexpected or unauthorized configuration changes exist that were not made by legitimate administrators.
-
Check audit logs for suspicious commands or configuration modificationsReview Cisco ISE audit logs, particularly those logging command execution and configuration changes. Look for commands or settings changes submitted by SAML-authenticated users that modify system settings or trigger system restart.Affected if Audit logs show configuration changes or system commands submitted outside expected administrative actions, especially from SAML SSO users.
-
Verify administrator account integrityReview the list of administrative accounts and their permissions within the Cisco ISE management interface. Check for unauthorized account creation, permission escalation, or changes to SAML SSO user roles.Affected if New administrative accounts appear, or existing accounts have elevated permissions that were not authorized.
A system is affected if it runs Cisco ISE version 3.0.0 through 3.4.0 and has SAML SSO authentication enabled for the web-based management interface.
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.
dbcve · scopedApply the Cisco vendor patch when released. Until then, review and restrict SAML SSO user permissions to limit exposure, and monitor for unauthorized configuration changes.
Cisco ISE 3.4.0 or later release (verify latest available fixed version via Cisco security advisory)
- 1. Back up the current Cisco ISE configuration before initiating any upgrade.
- 2. Review Cisco ISE upgrade documentation for your specific deployment topology (standalone, distributed, PAN/PSN).
- 3. Ensure compatible upgrade path: if currently on 3.0.0 or 3.1.0, upgrade to an intermediate version before reaching the target fixed release.
- 4. Download the fixed Cisco ISE release from Cisco.com (requires valid service contract).
- 5. Schedule maintenance window as upgrade may cause system restart/service disruption.
- 6. For single-node deployments, be aware that network authentication will be unavailable during upgrade/restart.
- 7. Upgrade the Primary Administration Node (PAN) first in distributed deployments, then Policy Service Nodes (PSNs).
- 8. After upgrade, verify SAML SSO configuration and test authorization for external identity provider users.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Identity Services Engine
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,816.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-20264 — 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-2025-20264 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data