CVE-2022-20964 in Identity Services Engine
Summary
by MITRE • 01/20/2023
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Identity Services Engine could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to inject arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system. This vulnerability is due to improper validation of user input within requests as part of the web-based management interface. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by manipulating requests to the web-based management interface to contain operating system commands. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary operating system commands on the underlying operating system with the privileges of the web services user. Cisco has not yet released software updates that address this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/30/2026
This vulnerability resides within Cisco Identity Services Engine's web-based management interface, representing a critical security flaw that enables authenticated remote code execution. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data within HTTP requests. When an attacker crafts malicious requests containing operating system commands and submits them through the web interface, the system processes these inputs without sufficient verification, creating an avenue for arbitrary command injection. This represents a classic command injection vulnerability that falls under CWE-77, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of special elements used in commands. The attack vector requires an authenticated session, meaning that an attacker must first establish valid credentials to access the web management interface before exploiting this flaw, but once authenticated, the impact is severe as it allows full command execution on the underlying operating system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it grants attackers elevated privileges equivalent to the web services user account, which typically operates with significant system access rights. This privilege level enables attackers to execute system-level commands, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or further lateral movement within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects the core management functionality of Cisco Identity Services Engine, which serves as a critical component for network access control and identity management, making it an attractive target for adversaries seeking persistent access to enterprise networks. The fact that Cisco has not yet released software updates demonstrates a window of opportunity for attackers to exploit this vulnerability without immediate defensive measures, creating a significant risk for organizations relying on this platform for network security enforcement.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to limit access to the web management interface, enforcing strict authentication controls with multi-factor authentication, and monitoring for suspicious request patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The implementation of web application firewalls can help detect and block malicious input patterns before they reach the vulnerable interface. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify systems running affected versions of Cisco Identity Services Engine and prioritize patching efforts. Security teams should monitor network traffic for unusual command execution patterns and implement logging controls that capture authentication events and management interface access. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1078.004 for valid accounts, highlighting the need for both network-based detection and privileged access monitoring. The vulnerability underscores the importance of input validation and proper sanitization in web applications, as outlined in OWASP Top 10 2021 category A03: Injection, emphasizing that inadequate validation of user inputs remains one of the most prevalent and dangerous security flaws in web applications.