CVE-2023-20194 Privilege escalation in Cisco Identity Services Engine Software

Medium 4.9 Published 7 Sep 2023 Updated 23 Oct 2024

Authenticated administrators can exploit improper privilege management in the ERS API to read arbitrary files and escalate privileges on Cisco ISE.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: An administrator
Attackable: Over the internet
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: None listed

What is CVE-2023-20194?

CVE-2023-20194 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Identity Services Engine, published on 7 Sep 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

Official description

A vulnerability in the ERS API of Cisco ISE could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to read arbitrary files on the underlying operating system of an affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must have valid Administrator-level privileges on the affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper privilege management in the ERS API. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted request to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to elevate their privileges beyond the sphere of their intended access level, which would allow them to obtain sensitive information from the underlying operating system. Note: The ERS is not enabled by default. To verify the status of the ERS API in the Admin GUI, choose Administration > Settings > API Settings > API Service Settings.

Weakness: CWE-269, CWE-268

Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-20194?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Cisco Identity Services Engine.

How do I fix CVE-2023-20194?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-20194 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

Is CVE-2023-20194 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-20194 in the wild and no public exploit code.

All Cisco Identity Services Engine vulnerabilities

Sources

Also known as GHSA-2mg3-562w-27qp.