# CVE-2026-20181: Cisco ISE and ISE-PIC command injection in underlying OS

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20181-cisco-ise-and-ise-pic-command-injection-in-underlying-os  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-06-17. Updated: 2026-06-20  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-20181 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.1 · Published 2026-06-17

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is a security policy management platform that controls access to corporate networks. A vulnerability in this system could allow an administrator to bypass security restrictions and take full control of the underlying server. This could lead to a total service outage, preventing new users or devices from connecting to the network, and potentially allowing an attacker to access sensitive internal data.

Technologies: [Cisco Identity Services Engine](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/identity-services-engine), [Cisco Identity Services Engine Passive Identity Connector](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/identity-services-engine-passive-identity-connector). Vendors: [Cisco](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/cisco).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-20181 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-20181 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-20181?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.1, published 17 June 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Cisco Identity Services Engine 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 (prior to Patch 11), 3.4 (prior to Patch 6), 3.5 (prior to Patch 4).

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-20181?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-20181 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-20181?** Check whether you run Cisco Identity Services Engine or Cisco Identity Services Engine Passive Identity Connector at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

A vulnerability in Cisco ISE and ISE-PIC (CVE-2026-20181) stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied input in HTTP requests, specifically related to path traversal (CWE-22). An authenticated, remote attacker with valid administrative credentials can exploit this by sending a crafted HTTP request to the affected device. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system, initially with user-level access and subsequently escalating to root privileges. In single-node deployments, this can lead to a complete Denial of Service (DoS) for network authentication services. Cisco has released software updates to address this issue; no workarounds are available.

## Affected products

- Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 (prior to Patch 11), 3.4 (prior to Patch 6), 3.5 (prior to Patch 4)
- Cisco ISE Passive Identity Connector (ISE-PIC) 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4

## Timeline

- 2026-06-17: advisory: Initial public release by Cisco
- 2026-06-19: other: Advisory updated to clarify hot patch availability

## References

- [https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ise-multi-G5WP8vv](https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ise-multi-G5WP8vv)

## Related threats

- [Cisco Identity Services Engine authorization bypass in management interface](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20183-a-vulnerability-in-the-web-based-management-interface-of-cisco)
- [Cisco Identity Services Engine authorization bypass in certificate enrollment](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20241-a-vulnerability-in-the-authorization-mechanism-of-cisco-identity)
- [A vulnerability in an API of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass authentication.](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-76460-cisco-identity-services-engine-incorrect-privileged-api-use)
- [Cisco ISE SQL and HQL injection in APIs](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-76451-cisco-ise-sql-and-hql-injection-in-apis)
- [Cisco Identity Services Engine SQL and HQL injection](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-76450-cisco-identity-services-engine-sql-and-hql-injection)