CVE-2026-76449 in Identity Services Engine Software
Summary
by MITRE • 09/16/2026
A vulnerability in Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and Cisco ISE Passive Identity Connector (ISE-PIC) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to conduct an SQL or HQL injection attack on an affected device.
This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input to the affected APIs before it is used to build database queries. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted request to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary SQL or HQL queries against the underlying database, which could allow the attacker to view or modify data that they are not authorized to access. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid administrative credentials.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/17/2026
The identified security flaw resides within Cisco Identity Services Engine and its associated Passive Identity Connector component, presenting a critical risk vector for organizations relying on these platforms for network access control and identity management. This vulnerability is classified as an SQL or HQL injection weakness, stemming from insufficient validation of user-supplied input prior to its incorporation into database queries executed by the affected application programming interfaces. The core technical failure involves the acceptance of maliciously crafted strings that bypass expected sanitization routines, allowing them to be interpreted as executable code rather than literal data within the backend relational or Hibernate Query Language structures. This lack of proper input validation creates a direct pathway for attackers to manipulate database operations, fundamentally undermining the integrity and confidentiality guarantees provided by the underlying database management system.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables authenticated remote attackers with valid administrative credentials to execute arbitrary SQL or HQL queries against the device's internal databases. The ability to inject these commands allows the attacker to perform unauthorized data retrieval, modification, or deletion operations on sensitive information stored within the Identity Services Engine repository. This includes potentially compromising user authentication records, policy definitions, endpoint identities, and other critical configuration data essential for network security enforcement. By leveraging this flaw, an adversary could escalate their privileges beyond intended boundaries, extract confidential credentials, alter access policies to grant themselves unauthorized entry points, or disrupt service availability by corrupting database integrity. The requirement for administrative credentials limits the attack surface to insider threats or scenarios where initial compromise of high-privilege accounts has already occurred, yet it significantly amplifies the potential impact due to the elevated trust level associated with such roles.
In terms of industry standard classification, this vulnerability aligns closely with Common Weakness Enumeration identifier CWE-89, which describes Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command, commonly known as SQL Injection. The specific use of HQL indicates a broader category of object-relational mapping injection flaws often associated with Hibernate frameworks, falling under similar risk profiles regarding untrusted data handling. Furthermore, the exploitation technique maps to MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to Data from Information Repositories and potentially Privilege Escalation if the database permissions allow for further system interaction. The attack vector is classified as remote but requires authentication, placing it in a category where defense-in-depth strategies are paramount since perimeter controls alone cannot mitigate threats originating from within trusted administrative boundaries.
Mitigation efforts must prioritize immediate patching of affected Cisco Identity Services Engine and ISE-PIC versions to the latest recommended releases provided by Cisco Security Advisories. Organizations should enforce strict role-based access control principles, ensuring that administrative credentials are protected with multi-factor authentication and limited distribution to only those personnel requiring such privileges for operational necessity. Network segmentation strategies should be reviewed to ensure that management interfaces are not exposed to untrusted networks, even if they require authentication. Additionally, implementing Web Application Firewall rules capable of detecting SQL injection patterns can provide an additional layer of defense against exploitation attempts. Continuous monitoring and logging of administrative API calls should be enhanced to detect anomalous query structures or unusual database access patterns indicative of active exploitation attempts.