Security Resilience

CVE-2023-20111

Cisco Identity Services Engine ≤ 2.6.0

Published
16 August 2023
Modified
21 November 2024
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 6.5
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
EPSS Score 0.0074 54th percentile
Risk Priority 51 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2023-20111 is a medium-severity Exposure of Sensitive System Information to an Unauthorized Control Sphere (CWE-497) vulnerability in Cisco Identity Services Engine. Its CVSS base score is 6.5 (Medium).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique DCSync (T1003.006); ranked in the top 46% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A01:2025 Broken Access Control

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to access sensitive information. This vulnerability is due to the improper storage of sensitive information within the web-based management interface. An…

more

attacker could exploit this vulnerability by logging in to the web-based management interface and viewing hidden fields within the application. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to access sensitive information, including device entry credentials, that could aid the attacker in further attacks.

CWE(s)
CWE-497NVD-CWE-noinfo

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1003.006 DCSync Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access credentials and other sensitive information by abusing a Windows Domain Controller's application programming interface (API)(Citation: Microsoft DRSR Dec 2017) (Citation: Microsoft GetNCCChanges) (Citati…
attack.mitre.org →
T1006 Direct Volume Access Stealth
Adversaries may directly access a volume to bypass file access controls and file system monitoring.
attack.mitre.org →
T1008 Fallback Channels Command And Control
Adversaries may use fallback or alternate communication channels if the primary channel is compromised or inaccessible in order to maintain reliable command and control and to avoid data transfer thresholds.
attack.mitre.org →
T1012 Query Registry Discovery
Adversaries may interact with the Windows Registry to gather information about the system, configuration, and installed software.
attack.mitre.org →
T1021.003 Distributed Component Object Model Lateral Movement
Adversaries may use [Valid Accounts](https://attack.
attack.mitre.org →
T1027.001 Binary Padding Stealth
Adversaries may use binary padding to add junk data and change the on-disk representation of malware.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-20243Same product: Cisco Identity Services Engine
CVE-2023-20272Same product: Cisco Identity Services Engine
CVE-2024-20469Same product: Cisco Identity Services Engine
CVE-2023-20170Same product: Cisco Identity Services Engine
CVE-2024-20539Same product: Cisco Identity Services Engine
CVE-2023-20213Same product: Cisco Identity Services Engine
CVE-2026-76424Same product: Cisco Identity Services Engine
CVE-2023-20195Same product: Cisco Identity Services Engine
CVE-2024-20368Same product: Cisco Identity Services Engine
CVE-2024-20531Same product: Cisco Identity Services Engine

Affected Assets

cisco
identity services engine
2.7.0, 3.0.0, 3.1 · ≤ 2.6.0

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 5 hardening rules · 4 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V14.1.2

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

AC-22 Publicly Accessible Content
addresses: CWE-497

Ongoing reviews detect and remove sensitive system information before it reaches publicly accessible systems.

AC-23 Data Mining Protection
addresses: CWE-497

Employs detection to prevent unauthorized mining of sensitive system information from being exfiltrated to external control spheres.

CM-12 Information Location
addresses: CWE-497

Documenting where system information is processed and stored prevents exposure to unauthorized control spheres.

PE-19 Information Leakage
addresses: CWE-497

The control stops sensitive system information from crossing into unauthorized control spheres through EM emanations.

PM-25 Minimization of Personally Identifiable Information Used in Testing, Training, and Research
addresses: CWE-497

Authorization and minimization requirements keep PII out of test/research control spheres that often lack production-grade protections.

RA-2 Security Categorization
addresses: CWE-497

Documented categorization of system information reduces the chance that sensitive internals are left exposed to unauthorized spheres.

SC-30 Concealment and Misdirection
addresses: CWE-497

System information is concealed or replaced with decoys, reducing leakage to unauthorized observers.

SI-11 Error Handling
addresses: CWE-497

Ensures sensitive system information is not disclosed outside the intended control sphere through error output.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.AA-05 partial match
blocks

Enforcing least-privilege access permissions directly prevents unauthorized actors from reaching sensitive system information.

PR.IR-01 partial match
blocks

Protecting environments from unauthorized logical access stops exposure of internal system details to outsiders.

PR.PS-06 partial match
blocks

Secure-development practices reduce the chance of code paths that leak sensitive system information.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.5.14 Information transfer partial match
removes
A.5.15 Access control partial match
removes
A.5.16 Identity management partial match
removes
A.5.17 Authentication information partial match
removes
A.5.18 Access rights partial match
removes
A.8.11 Data masking partial match
removes

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (higher-evidence rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Oracle Linux 8 (2 rules)
  • V-248551 A sticky bit must be set on all OL 8 public directories to prevent unauthorized and unintended information transferred via shared system resources. blocks CWE-497
  • V-248580 OL 8 must prevent kernel profiling by unprivileged users. blocks CWE-497
RHEL 8 (1 rule)
  • V-230270 RHEL 8 must prevent kernel profiling by unprivileged users. blocks CWE-497
Ubuntu 22.04 (1 rule)
  • V-260470 Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, when booted, must require authentication upon booting into single-user and maintenance modes. blocks CWE-497
Ubuntu 24.04 (1 rule)
  • V-270675 Ubuntu 24.04 LTS when booted must require authentication upon booting into single-user and maintenance modes. blocks CWE-497

References