CVE-2020-3525 in Identity Services Engine Software
Summary
by MITRE • 11/18/2024
A vulnerability in the Admin portal of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to recover service account passwords that are saved on an affected system. The vulnerability is due to the incorrect inclusion of saved passwords when loading configuration pages in the Admin portal. An attacker with read or write access to the Admin portal could exploit this vulnerability by browsing to a page that contains sensitive data. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to recover passwords and expose those accounts to further attack.Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/24/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-3525 affects Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) administrative portals and represents a critical information disclosure flaw that undermines the security of service account credentials. This vulnerability specifically targets the administrative interface of Cisco ISE, a network access control solution that manages and authenticates network devices and users. The flaw manifests when the system incorrectly includes saved passwords within configuration pages loaded in the admin portal, creating an unintentional exposure of sensitive authentication credentials. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-200, which describes information exposure through improper error handling or data inclusion, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.001 for credentials from password files and T1552.006 for credentials in registry, as the passwords are stored in a manner that makes them accessible through the web interface. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access to the admin portal, which can be achieved through legitimate administrative credentials or through credential compromise via other attack vectors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the administrative portal loads configuration pages that contain embedded password values, either through direct inclusion in HTML source code or through improper data sanitization during page rendering. Attackers with either read or write privileges to the admin portal can exploit this by navigating to specific pages that display the configuration data, thereby exposing service account passwords that have been saved within the system. This flaw demonstrates poor input validation and output encoding practices within the web application framework, where sensitive data elements are not properly escaped or removed from the presentation layer before being rendered to authenticated users. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it directly exposes credentials that could be used for privilege escalation, lateral movement, or additional attacks within the network infrastructure. Network security administrators who believe they have secured their ISE environment through proper access controls may find their assumptions incorrect, as the vulnerability allows for credential recovery without requiring additional exploitation techniques.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-3525 extends beyond simple credential exposure, as compromised service accounts can provide attackers with persistent access to critical network infrastructure and potentially enable further compromise of the entire network access control system. Service accounts typically possess elevated privileges and access to network devices, making their compromise particularly dangerous for organizations relying on Cisco ISE for network security. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can use the recovered credentials to gain deeper access to network devices, potentially allowing them to bypass security controls, modify network policies, or establish persistent backdoors within the infrastructure. The vulnerability's impact is amplified when considering that service accounts often have access to administrative functions and may be used for automated processes, making their compromise particularly damaging for maintaining network integrity. Organizations may face regulatory compliance issues if service account credentials are exposed, as these credentials often contain sensitive information that should remain protected. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for attackers to escalate privileges and move laterally within the network, as service accounts frequently have broader access rights than regular user accounts.
Cisco has addressed this vulnerability through official software updates that implement proper data sanitization and output encoding within the admin portal's configuration page rendering process. The updates ensure that passwords and other sensitive data elements are not included in configuration pages accessible to authenticated users, preventing the unintended exposure of service account credentials. Organizations should immediately apply these security updates to mitigate the risk of credential exposure and maintain the integrity of their network access control systems. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because no workarounds exist to address the issue, meaning that organizations must rely entirely on the official patch releases from Cisco. Security teams should prioritize this update as part of their vulnerability management processes, especially in environments where Cisco ISE is deployed for critical network security functions. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and code reviews to identify similar data exposure issues in web applications, particularly those handling sensitive authentication information. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring and logging of admin portal activities to detect potential exploitation attempts and maintain visibility into administrative access patterns.