Published on: 2025-06-05

Intelligence Report: Critical Flaw in Cisco ISE Impacts Cloud Deployments on AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

1. BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front)

A critical vulnerability in Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) affects cloud deployments on AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. This flaw allows unauthenticated remote attackers to access sensitive data, perform limited administrative actions, and disrupt services. Immediate mitigation is required to prevent exploitation, including restricting access to trusted IP addresses and resetting configurations to generate new credentials.

2. Detailed Analysis

The following structured analytic techniques have been applied to ensure methodological consistency:

Adversarial Threat Simulation

Simulations indicate that attackers can exploit shared credentials across multiple cloud deployments, leading to unauthorized access and potential data breaches.

Indicators Development

Monitoring for unusual access patterns and configuration changes is critical for early detection of exploitation attempts.

Bayesian Scenario Modeling

Probabilistic models suggest a high likelihood of exploitation if mitigations are not promptly applied, with potential widespread impact on affected cloud environments.

3. Implications and Strategic Risks

The vulnerability poses significant risks to cloud security, potentially affecting data integrity and availability. This could lead to cascading effects across sectors reliant on cloud services, including government, finance, and healthcare. The flaw’s exploitation may also embolden adversaries to target other cloud-based systems.

4. Recommendations and Outlook

• Immediately apply access restrictions to trusted IP addresses and reset configurations to generate new, unique credentials.
• Monitor systems for signs of exploitation and unusual activity.
• Scenario Projections:
  • Best Case: Rapid mitigation prevents exploitation, maintaining system integrity.
  • Worst Case: Delayed response leads to widespread data breaches and service disruptions.
  • Most Likely: Partial exploitation occurs, but swift mitigation limits damage.

5. Key Individuals and Entities

Kentaro Kawane, GMO Cybersecurity, Cisco PSIRT

6. Thematic Tags

national security threats, cybersecurity, cloud vulnerabilities, data protection