MEDIUM CVSS 4.9
Published: 2026-04-15

CVE-2026-20148

cisco identity_services_engine Security Advisory (CVE-2026-20148)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2026-20148 impacting cisco identity_services_engine. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 4.9 (MEDIUM).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
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.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
High (PR:H)
Administrative credentials required
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
None (I:N)
No system modification impact
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product cisco / identity_services_engine
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-22

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2026-20148 impacting cisco identity_services_engine.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2026-20148.yaml
id: cve-2026-20148

info:
  name: cisco identity_services_engine - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: medium
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2026-20148 affecting cisco identity_services_engine.
    Evaluation: A vulnerability in Cisco ISE and Cisco ISE-PIC could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to perform path traversal attacks on the underlying opera...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2026-20148
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
    cvss-score: 4.9
    cve-id: CVE-2026-20148
    cwe-id: CWE-22
  tags: cve,cve-2026-20148,cisco,identity_services_engine,medium

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "identity_services_engine"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2026-20148.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2026-20148
# Target: cisco identity_services_engine | CVSS: 4.9 (MEDIUM)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2026-20148 (cisco identity_services_engine)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against cisco identity_services_engine scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2026-20148.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2026-20148
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install identity_services_engine 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade identity_services_engine 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update identity_services_engine

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i identity_services_engine 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i identity_services_engine

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

🔗 Verified Technical References

Authorities
  • No records filed in this category.
Distributions
  • No records filed in this category.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2026-20148 in cisco identity_services_engine?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update cisco identity_services_engine packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2026-20148?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2026-20148?

CVE-2026-20148 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 4.9 (MEDIUM). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
4.9
MEDIUM SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2026-20148
Weakness CWE-22
Vendor cisco
Product identity_services_engine
Published 2026-04-15
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N