CVE-2023-20172 Cisco Identity Services Engine Arbitrary File Delete and File Read Vulnerabilities
Authenticated attackers can delete or read arbitrary files on Cisco ISE via path traversal flaws, requiring valid credentials for exploitation.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2023-20172?
CVE-2023-20172 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Cisco Identity Services Engine, published on 18 May 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
Multiple vulnerabilities in Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) could allow an authenticated attacker to delete or read arbitrary files on the underlying operating system. To exploit these vulnerabilities, an attacker must have valid credentials on an affected device. For more information about these vulnerabilities, see the Details section of this advisory.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-20172?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Cisco Identity Services Engine.
How do I fix CVE-2023-20172?
No fix has been published for CVE-2023-20172 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade, and resolve every user-supplied path against an allowed base folder before opening it. More about Path traversal.
Is CVE-2023-20172 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-20172 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Identity Services Engine
- CVE-2026-76460 Cisco Identity Services Engine Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs
- CVE-2025-20337 Cisco Identity Services Engine Injection
- CVE-2025-20281 Cisco Identity Services Engine Injection
- CVE-2026-20130 Cisco Identity Services Engine Hardening Release - Improper Neutralization Vulnerabilities
- CVE-2026-20192 Cisco Identity Services Engine Hardening Release - Access Control Vulnerabilities
Sources
Also known as GHSA-3rjc-xpqg-5mh4.