Unauthenticated root code execution via API command injection
Published Jun 25, 2025 · Updated Feb 26, 2026
Command injection in Cisco Identity Services Engine 3.3 and 3.4 allows remote attackers to execute code as root via a crafted API request. The enableStrongSwanTunnel method deserializes an attacker-controlled Java string array and passes its first element into a privileged StrongSwan shell-script path without adequate validation. No credentials or nondefault configuration are required; successful exploitation escapes the privileged container and controls the appliance host as root.
Summary
What happened
Command injection in Cisco Identity Services Engine 3.3 and 3.4 allows remote attackers to execute code as root via a crafted API request. The enableStrongSwanTunnel method deserializes an attacker-controlled Java string array and passes its first element into a privileged StrongSwan shell-script path without adequate validation. No credentials or nondefault configuration are required; successful exploitation escapes the privileged container and controls the appliance host as root.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-20281
- Published
- Jun 25, 2025
- Updated
- Feb 26, 2026
- Vendor
- ClamAV
- Product
- Cisco Identity Services Engine
- Classifications
- CWE-74, T1190
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jun 25, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jul 28, 2025Exploitation reportedCISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog entry
- Feb 26, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=3.3.0
- Affected versionversion=3.3 Patch 1
- Affected versionversion=3.3 Patch 2
- Affected versionversion=3.3 Patch 3
- Affected versionversion=3.3 Patch 4
- Affected versionversion=3.3 Patch 5
- Affected versionversion=3.3 Patch 6
- Affected versionversion=3.4.0
- Affected versionversion=3.4 Patch 1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- ZDI Cisco ISE enableStrongSwanTunnel exploit demonstrationfunctional · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Reported exploitation
- Cisco PSIRT attempted-exploitation observationreported exploitation
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog entryknown exploited catalog
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
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