CVE-2026-76424

Cisco ISE Arbitrary File Access Vulnerability

Public exploit available. Not confirmed exploited in the wild yet. No fix published yet.

CVSS 3.17.2High EPSS percentile58th0.9% chance in 30 days CISA KEVNot listedNo confirmed exploitation
Public exploit: 0 sources FixNone yetNo fix or workaround published

Published 2026-09-16Updated 2026-09-18Sources: CVE.org, NVD

NVD CVE.org

What to do

No fixed build or workaround is published yet. Limit exposure and watch for a patch.

Steps

Written by AI from the record

Check whether your organization runs Cisco Identity Services Engine Software and identify every system that uses its REST API.
Review administrator accounts immediately; remove unused accounts, require strong multi-factor sign-in, and rotate credentials that may be shared or exposed.
No fixed version has been published in the available findings; ask Cisco or your support provider for the vendor advisory and remediation timeline.
Until a fix is available, restrict administrator access to trusted management networks and investigate unexpected file changes or administrator activity.

May need vendor or contractor work

Is your organisation exposed?Request an assessment to establish which checks fit your systems.

What it is

From the CVE record

A vulnerability in the REST API of Cisco ISE could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to upload or copy arbitrary files on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation in file operations. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by uploading a file with a crafted path. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to upload files to arbitrary locations and execute arbitrary commands as root on the affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid administrative credentials.

In plain language

Written by AI from the record

Cisco Identity Services Engine Software has a serious flaw that lets someone with administrator access take control of the system; typical small businesses using it should act now, but no fixed version is currently known.

Authenticated remote path traversal in the Cisco ISE REST API allows an administrator to upload or copy files to arbitrary paths and execute commands as root.

If you're affected

Full system takeover
Network access disruption
Security policy changes
Sensitive file exposure
Ransomware risk

What is it

This is a weakness in a system used to control who can access company networks and services. It is like giving an administrator a filing cabinet key that can also open any locked room in the building: an attacker who gets that key can place files where they want and take over the system.

Who is affected

This matters to you if you run Cisco Identity Services Engine Software to manage network identity, access, or security policies. It is a risk only if an attacker already has valid administrator credentials.

How urgent is it

A public exploit is available, so an attacker who obtains administrator access has a ready-made route to take control of the affected system. Treat this as urgent: reduce administrator access now and obtain Cisco’s remediation guidance as soon as possible.

What to do — in detail

Confirm exposure by inventorying all Cisco Identity Services Engine Software deployments, identifying REST API access, and reviewing which accounts hold administrative privileges. There is no published fixed version or supported upgrade target in the available findings, so obtain Cisco’s advisory before planning an upgrade.

If patching is delayed, limit administrative and REST API access to dedicated management networks, enforce multi-factor authentication, remove dormant administrator accounts, and rotate credentials that may have been exposed. Review logs and file-system changes for unusual administrator API activity, unexpected uploads, or commands executed with elevated privileges. CISA has not added this CVE to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, so no CISA remediation due date applies.

Technical context

CVE-2026-76424 is rated CVSS 7.2 High (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H). It is CWE-23, involving insufficient validation of crafted file paths in Cisco ISE REST API file operations. A remote authenticated attacker with valid administrative credentials can upload or copy files to arbitrary locations and execute commands as root. Public exploit code is available; CISA KEV does not list this CVE. EPSS is 0.6% (48th percentile) with a flat trend.

This is a general assessment based on public vulnerability data. It does not account for your specific infrastructure — when in doubt, consult a security specialist.

Exploitation

Where each signal puts this CVE on the scale from published to confirmed exploited.

EPSS58th

Public exploit

CISA KEV

Not in the catalog. CISA has not confirmed exploitation.

Public exploits

0 sources with a proof of concept or module.

Exploit links, PoCs and Metasploit modules after sign-in

EPSS

0.9% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, which ranks it in the 58th percentile of scored CVEs.

Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST.org. A probability, not a confirmation.

Lifecycle

7 events over 2 days, from the signal feeds we watch.

2026-09-18Record updated
2026-09-17Record updatedrecord updated
2026-09-16Publishedweakness classified, att&ck mapped, record updated

Affected products

Ciscocommercial · USaka cisco systems, cisco systems inc.
- Cisco Identity Services Engine SoftwareNetworking Infrastructure

Technical detail

CVSS 3.1 vector

Open in the CVSS calculator

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Scored 7.2 by NVD.

How it is reached

Attack Vector NetworkExploitable remotely over the network without any special conditions
Attack Complexity LowNo special conditions — the attack can be reliably reproduced
Privileges Required HighRequires admin or elevated privileges
User Interaction NoneNo user interaction needed — fully automated exploitation

Scope

Scope UnchangedImpact is limited to the vulnerable component itself

Impact if exploited

Confidentiality HighTotal information disclosure — all data in the component is compromised
Integrity HighTotal loss of integrity — attacker can modify any data in the component
Availability HighTotal denial of service — the component is completely unavailable