CVE-2023-20030: Cisco Identity Services Engine XML External Entity Injection Vulnerability

Severity: medium (CVSS 6.0 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.8% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2023-04-05 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-611

Description

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to access sensitive information, conduct a server-side request forgery (SSRF) attack through an affected device, or negatively impact the responsiveness of the web-based management interface itself. This vulnerability is due to improper handling of XML External Entity (XXE) entries when parsing certain XML files. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by uploading a crafted XML file that contains references to external entities. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to retrieve files from the local system, resulting in the disclosure of confidential information. A successful exploit could also cause the web application to perform arbitrary HTTP requests on behalf of the attacker or consume memory resources to reduce the availability of the web-based management interface. To successfully exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need valid Super Admin or Policy Admin credentials.

Affected products

Cisco Identity Services Engine: before 3.2; 3.2 — fixed in 3.2

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Cisco Identity Services Engine 3.2. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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