CVE-2026-76448: Cisco ISE SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2026-76448 Overview

Cisco disclosed CVE-2026-76448, a SQL and Hibernate Query Language (HQL) injection vulnerability affecting Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and Cisco ISE Passive Identity Connector (ISE-PIC). The flaw resides in affected API endpoints that fail to properly validate user-supplied input before constructing database queries. An authenticated attacker with valid administrative credentials can send crafted requests to execute arbitrary SQL or HQL statements against the underlying database. Successful exploitation allows unauthorized reading or modification of database records. The issue is tracked as CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command.

Critical Impact
Authenticated administrators can execute arbitrary SQL or HQL queries against the ISE backend database, enabling unauthorized data disclosure and integrity compromise.

Affected Products

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)
Cisco ISE Passive Identity Connector (ISE-PIC)
Refer to the Cisco Security Advisory for the definitive list of fixed releases

Discovery Timeline

2026-09-16 - CVE-2026-76448 published to NVD
2026-09-16 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-76448

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2026-76448 stems from insufficient input validation on multiple Cisco ISE and ISE-PIC API endpoints. The affected APIs concatenate attacker-controlled parameters into SQL or HQL statements without proper parameterization or sanitization. When the application executes the resulting query, injected clauses run with the database privileges of the ISE service account. This grants access to authentication policies, identity stores, endpoint records, and other sensitive administrative data managed by ISE.

Exploitation requires valid administrative credentials, which limits the population of attackers but does not eliminate risk. Compromised administrator accounts, insider threats, and lateral movement scenarios all provide viable exploitation paths.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL and HQL commands [CWE-89]. Input received through the affected API parameters flows directly into query construction routines. Neither prepared statements nor allow-list validation are enforced, so meta-characters and SQL keywords supplied by the caller alter the parsed query structure.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based against the ISE management interface. An authenticated administrator sends a crafted HTTP request containing malicious SQL or HQL fragments to a vulnerable API endpoint. The ISE application builds and executes the tainted query, returning results or side effects to the attacker. Because the vulnerability affects integrity and confidentiality of stored data, an attacker can extract credentials and policy data or modify records to weaken enforcement.

Technical details are described in the Cisco Security Advisory for ISE. No public proof-of-concept exploit code is available at the time of publication.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-76448

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected SQL syntax characters such as single quotes, semicolons, UNION, or -- in ISE API request parameters recorded in application or proxy logs.
Administrative API calls originating from unusual source addresses, service accounts, or outside normal change windows.
Database error messages or stack traces returned in API responses that reference Hibernate or JDBC exceptions.
Unexpected changes to ISE policy objects, identity groups, or endpoint records without corresponding change tickets.

Detection Strategies

Enable and centralize Cisco ISE administrative audit logs and REST API access logs, then alert on parameters containing SQL or HQL keywords.
Deploy a web application firewall or reverse proxy in front of the ISE admin interface with signatures for SQL and HQL injection patterns.
Correlate administrator authentication events with subsequent API activity to identify credential misuse.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward ISE syslog, audit, and API telemetry to a centralized SIEM or data lake for retention and correlation.
Baseline normal administrator API usage and alert on deviations in request volume, endpoint diversity, or query length.
Continuously monitor privileged ISE accounts for anomalous logon locations, times, or client identifiers.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-76448

Immediate Actions Required

Review the Cisco Security Advisory and identify affected ISE and ISE-PIC releases in your environment.
Apply the fixed software versions published by Cisco as soon as a maintenance window permits.
Rotate credentials for all ISE administrator accounts and audit recent administrative activity for signs of misuse.
Restrict administrative access to ISE to a dedicated management network protected by multi-factor authentication.

Patch Information

Cisco has published fixed software for Cisco ISE and ISE-PIC. Consult the Cisco Security Advisory for ISE for the specific patched releases, upgrade guidance, and any prerequisite steps. No official workaround is provided by Cisco; upgrading is the primary remediation.

Workarounds

Limit administrative role assignments to the minimum required set of personnel and enforce least privilege for API access.
Place the ISE administration interface behind a jump host or bastion with strong authentication and full session recording.
Enforce network access control lists that only permit administrative traffic from approved management subnets.

bash

# Example: restrict ISE admin interface access via an upstream ACL
# Replace <ISE_ADMIN_IP> and <MGMT_SUBNET> with your environment values
access-list ISE_ADMIN_ACL permit tcp <MGMT_SUBNET> 0.0.0.255 host <ISE_ADMIN_IP> eq 443
access-list ISE_ADMIN_ACL deny   tcp any host <ISE_ADMIN_IP> eq 443 log