Medium File handling

CVE-2026-20148 — Cisco Identity Services Engine Path Traversal Vulnerability

A vulnerability in Cisco ISE and Cisco ISE-PIC could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to perform path traversal attacks on the underlying operating system and read arbitrary files. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid administrative credentials. This vulnerability is due to improper validation of user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request to an affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to access sensitive files on the affected system.

Published Apr 15, 2026 · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: cisco

Low

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.

How the score was calculated

EPSS 6.5% (30-day exploitation probability)+14
Technical severity (medium)+3

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation

Not confirmed

Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.

EPSS FIRST

6.54%

ahead of 94% of scored CVEs · Oct 14, 2026

Affects

Cisco

Cisco Identity Services Engine Software and 3 more

CVSS base

4.9

Medium · 2 source(s)

CISA SSVC assessment CISA

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

Exploitation

None

none · proof-of-concept · active

Automatable

can an attacker script the kill-chain steps

Technical impact

Partial

partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Cisco Cisco Identity Services Engine Software, Cisco Cisco ISE Passive Identity Connector, Cisco Identity Services Engine…).
No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
EPSS ahead of 94% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (file handling), errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status	Source
Cisco	Cisco Identity Services Engine Software	version 3.2 Patch 8version 3.5 Patch 1version 3.3 Patch 9version 3.2 Patch 9version 3.1.0version 3.1.0 p1version 3.1.0 p3version 3.1.0 p2 and 30 more version 3.2.0version 3.1.0 p4version 3.1.0 p5version 3.2.0 p1version 3.1.0 p6version 3.2.0 p2version 3.1.0 p7version 3.3.0version 3.2.0 p3version 3.2.0 p4version 3.1.0 p8version 3.2.0 p5version 3.2.0 p6version 3.1.0 p9version 3.3 Patch 2version 3.3 Patch 1version 3.3 Patch 3version 3.4.0version 3.2.0 p7version 3.3 Patch 4version 3.4 Patch 1version 3.1.0 p10version 3.3 Patch 5version 3.3 Patch 6version 3.4 Patch 2version 3.3 Patch 7version 3.4 Patch 3version 3.5.0version 3.4 Patch 4version 3.3 Patch 8	Vulnerable	CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Cisco	Cisco ISE Passive Identity Connector	version 3.2.0version 3.1.0version 3.3.0version 3.4.0	Vulnerable	CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Cisco	Identity Services Engine	< 3.1version 3.1.0version 3.1.0-patch1version 3.1.0-patch10version 3.1.0-patch2version 3.1.0-patch3version 3.1.0-patch4version 3.1.0-patch5 and 34 more version 3.1.0-patch6version 3.1.0-patch7version 3.1.0-patch8version 3.1.0-patch9version 3.2.0version 3.2.0-patch1version 3.2.0-patch2version 3.2.0-patch3version 3.2.0-patch4version 3.2.0-patch5version 3.2.0-patch6version 3.2.0-patch7version 3.2.0-patch8version 3.2.0-patch9version 3.3.0version 3.3.0-patch1version 3.3.0-patch10version 3.3.0-patch2version 3.3.0-patch3version 3.3.0-patch4version 3.3.0-patch5version 3.3.0-patch6version 3.3.0-patch7version 3.3.0-patch8version 3.3.0-patch9version 3.4.0version 3.4.0-patch1version 3.4.0-patch2version 3.4.0-patch3version 3.4.0-patch4version 3.4.0-patch5version 3.5.0version 3.5.0-patch1version 3.5.0-patch2	Vulnerable	NIST National Vulnerability Database
Cisco	Identity Services Engine Passive Identity Connector	< 3.1.0version 3.1.0version 3.1.0-patch1version 3.1.0-patch10version 3.1.0-patch2version 3.1.0-patch3version 3.1.0-patch4version 3.1.0-patch5 and 31 more version 3.1.0-patch6version 3.1.0-patch7version 3.1.0-patch8version 3.1.0-patch9version 3.2.0version 3.2.0-patch1version 3.2.0-patch2version 3.2.0-patch3version 3.2.0-patch4version 3.2.0-patch5version 3.2.0-patch6version 3.2.0-patch7version 3.2.0-patch8version 3.2.0-patch9version 3.3.0version 3.3.0-patch1version 3.3.0-patch10version 3.3.0-patch2version 3.3.0-patch3version 3.3.0-patch4version 3.3.0-patch5version 3.3.0-patch6version 3.3.0-patch7version 3.3.0-patch8version 3.3.0-patch9version 3.4.0version 3.4.0-patch1version 3.4.0-patch2version 3.4.0-patch3version 3.4.0-patch4version 3.4.0-patch5	Vulnerable	NIST National Vulnerability Database

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector

Network

Attack complexity

Low

Privileges required

High

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

None

Availability

None

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Scored by
4.9	CVSS 3.1	Medium	1.2	3.6	psirt@cisco.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database
4.9	CVSS 3.1	Medium	—	—	cisco via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N (score shown at the top: psirt@cisco.com)

Weakness MITRE

Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.

CWE-22 · Path Traversal

Other CVEs with this weakness →

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 6.54%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
Monitor file creation in web directories and paths with traversal sequences (../).

web/proxy/WAF logsnetwork IDS/IPSfile integrity (FIM)endpoint telemetry (EDR)

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

2026
Affected products added · cisco/cisco identity services engine software, cisco/cisco ise passive identity connector
Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
SSVC assessment updated
Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Record published
Oct 13, 2026
CVSS changed · 4.9
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Source status changed · → Analyzed
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Record created in this database
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
CVE published
Apr 15, 2026 · cisco

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026

References

1 on the record

sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ise-rce-traver
Vendor Advisory, NIST National Vulnerability Database

Elsewhere on this site

Cisco
every CVE for this vendor

File handling
same class

CWE-22
other pages naming this weakness

Related CVEs (same products)

Critical CVE-2026-76460 Cisco Identity Services Engine Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs Vulnerability KEV 28d
High CVE-2026-20190 Cisco Identity Services Engine Information Disclosure Vulnerability Jun 17, 2026
Critical CVE-2026-20181 Cisco Identity Services Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability Jun 17, 2026
Medium CVE-2026-20195 Cisco Identity Services Engine Observable Response Discrepancy Vulnerability May 6, 2026
Medium CVE-2026-20193 Cisco Identity Services Engine Authentication Bypass Vulnerability May 6, 2026
Critical CVE-2026-20186 Cisco Identity Services Engine Multiple Authenticated Remote Code Execution Vulnerability Apr 15, 2026

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-20148 is "Cisco Identity Services Engine Path Traversal Vulnerability", rated Medium. It affects Cisco Identity Services Engine Software (Cisco); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 4.9 describes technical severity. EPSS 6.54% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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