Cisco Identity Services Engine: security flaw used in attacks
OFFICIAL NAME: Cisco Identity Services Engine Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs Vulnerability
WHAT IT IS · LOGINS AND ACCESSIt controls who can log in to what.
DO THIS FIRSTPatch it and review who has admin access. Not sure if you use it? Send this page to your IT provider or security lead and ask.
TECHNICAL SUMMARY Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and Cisco ISE Passive Identity Connector (ISE-PIC) contain an incorrect use of privileged APIs vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to gain unauthorized access to the affected device by bypassing the web-based management interface.
WHY THIS VERDICT Attacks are confirmed. The vulnerability is 55 days old, so many systems are likely still unpatched. Ready-made attack tools are public. The severity score is critical (10.0). The exploit prediction score is 76%.
WHY IT RANKS HERE Exploitation is confirmed by an authoritative source. The product faces the internet or gives remote access. Ready-made attack tools are public. 3 products are affected.
- HIGHEST CONFIRMED RUNG
- EXPLOITED
- CISA KEV
- LISTED
- EXPLOIT CODE
- READY TO USE
How far has it climbed?
01 TALK
▨ REPORTED, NOT CONFIRMEDNEWEST EVIDENCE · 1 SOURCECVE-2026-76460 discussed publicly (CIRCL sighting).
02 EXPOSED
□ NOT TRACKED YETNO SOURCE FOR THIS STEP YETWe have no source that counts exposed systems yet. Internet scan data needs a partnership we do not have. No evidence here does not mean nothing is exposed.
03 TRIED
■ CONFIRMEDNEWEST EVIDENCE · 2 INDEPENDENT SOURCESAttacks that worked are confirmed (step 4), so attempts count as confirmed too.
04 EXPLOITED
■ CONFIRMEDNEWEST EVIDENCE · 2 INDEPENDENT SOURCESCISA Vulnrichment marks CVE-2026-76460 as actively exploited. Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and Cisco ISE Passive Identity Connector (ISE-PIC) contain an incorrect use of privileged APIs vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to gain unauthorized access to the affected device by bypassing the web-based management interface.
05 DAMAGE
□ NOT TRACKED YETNO SOURCE FOR THIS STEP YETBreach notices and filings rarely name the flaw that was used, so we cannot link them to this event yet. No evidence here does not mean no harm.
When each thing happened
- DISCLOSED
- EXPLOIT CODE PUBLIC
- FIRST ATTACK REPORT
- CISA KEV LISTING
- US FEDERAL DEADLINE
THE FIX
CISA's instruction: apply the vendor's fix, or stop using the product if no fix exists. The deadline CISA set for US federal agencies, Sep 19, 2026, has passed. It is a US government deadline; use it as a guide.
Questions to ask this week
- Do we run Cisco Identity Services Engine? If yes, is it patched or cut off from the internet?
- Who owns fixing it, and by what date?
- Have we checked for signs of attack since the first report, not just since the patch?
How it unfolded
- Attack activity. SEP 15, 2026Cisco Identity Services Engine Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs Vulnerability
- Attack activity. SEP 16, 2026CISA Vulnrichment marks CVE-2026-76460 as actively exploited
- SEP 17, 20261 public GitHub repository claims a proof of concept for CVE-2026-76460
- OCT 23, 2026Vulnerability CVE-2026-76460 confirmed by a researcher (CIRCL sighting)
- NOV 2, 2026CVE-2026-76460 discussed publicly (CIRCL sighting)
SOURCES
- [1] nuclei-templates: Nuclei scan template: Cisco Identity Services Engine - ise-kong API Gateway Authentication Bypass, OCT 24
- [2] CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup sightings: CVE-2026-76460 discussed publicly (CIRCL sighting), NOV 2
- [3] CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup sightings: Vulnerability CVE-2026-76460 confirmed by a researcher (CIRCL sighting), OCT 23
- [4] PoC-in-GitHub: 1 public GitHub repository claims a proof of concept for CVE-2026-76460, SEP 17
- [5] CVE List V5 and CISA Vulnrichment: CISA Vulnrichment marks CVE-2026-76460 as actively exploited, SEP 16
- [6] CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities: Cisco Identity Services Engine Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs Vulnerability, SEP 15