Cisco Secure Network Analytics Manager Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

🚨 SEVERITY: MEDIUM — CVSS 6.5 Security Advisory

TL;DR 📌

A privilege escalation vulnerability has been identified in Cisco Secure Network Analytics Manager and Cisco Secure Network Analytics Virtual Manager. This flaw allows authenticated attackers with valid administrative credentials to execute arbitrary commands as root on the underlying operating system. Cisco has released software updates to address this issue, but no workarounds are available.

What happened 🕵️‍♂️

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Secure Network Analytics Manager and Cisco Secure Network Analytics Virtual Manager was discovered. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation in specific fields, allowing an authenticated attacker to send crafted input and execute arbitrary commands with root privileges on the underlying operating system.

Affected products 🖥️

The following products are affected by this vulnerability:

  • Cisco Secure Network Analytics Manager
  • Cisco Secure Network Analytics Virtual Manager

No other Cisco products are known to be affected.

Fixed software 🔧

Upgrade to at least the first fixed release in your train (or later):

Product / Release Train First Fixed Release Notes
ISE / ISE-PIC 1.0 Initial public release.

Workarounds 🧯

There are no workarounds available to mitigate this vulnerability.

Risk in context 🎯

The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 6.5, categorized as MEDIUM severity. This indicates a moderate risk level, primarily affecting systems where administrative credentials are already compromised. Organizations using affected products should prioritize applying the fixed software to mitigate potential exploitation.

Fast facts ⚡

  • Vulnerability ID: CVE-2025-20256
  • Severity Level: Medium
  • CVSS Score: 6.5
  • Affected Products: Cisco Secure Network Analytics Manager, Cisco Secure Network Analytics Virtual Manager
  • No workarounds available.

For leadership 🧭

It is crucial for organizations using Cisco Secure Network Analytics products to be aware of this vulnerability and take immediate action to update to the fixed software versions. The potential for privilege escalation poses a significant risk, and timely remediation will help safeguard the integrity of your network environment. For further details, refer to the Cisco Security Advisory.