Cisco ISE Management Interface Bypass Vulnerability

Catalog analysis: CISA added this entry on September 16, 2026. The entry reflects catalog information retrieved on September 17, 2026, not a snapshot archived on the inclusion date. This site’s publication date is shown separately. Check current vendor guidance before acting.

What the vulnerability is

CVE-2026-76460 is a vulnerability involving the incorrect use of privileged APIs (CWE-648) within Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and the Cisco ISE Passive Identity Connector (ISE-PIC). This flaw could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass the web-based management interface to gain unauthorized access to the affected device.

Exposure and applicability

This vulnerability is particularly relevant for U.S. healthcare providers and business associates who rely on Cisco ISE for network access control (NAC). In clinical environments, ISE is often used to enforce segmentation between medical devices, guest networks, and servers containing electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI).

Because the vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker to bypass management controls, any instance of Cisco ISE or ISE-PIC that is exposed to the internet or resides on a compromised internal segment is at higher risk. CISA added this vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on September 16, 2026.

Remediation priorities

Our analysis suggests the following prioritized actions for healthcare security leaders and clinical engineering teams:

1. Asset Identification and Exposure Review: Identify all active deployments of Cisco ISE and ISE-PIC. Prioritize assets that are internet-facing or accessible from low-trust network zones, as these represent the most immediate risk of unauthorized access.
2. Vendor Mitigation Application: Apply the mitigations provided by Cisco in accordance with their official security advisory. This is the primary method to address the API flaw.
3. Management Interface Isolation: Ensure that the web-based management interface is not accessible from the general clinical or guest networks. Restricting access to a dedicated, secure management VLAN could reduce the likelihood of an attacker reaching the vulnerable API.

How to validate remediation

To verify that risk has been reduced, organizations should employ the following methods:

• Version and Patch Verification: Confirm through system logs or administrative dashboards that the vendor-recommended mitigations or updates have been successfully applied to all identified ISE and ISE-PIC nodes.
• Network Path Analysis: Use authorized network mapping tools to verify that the management interface is unreachable from unauthorized network segments, confirming that isolation controls are functioning as intended.

Limits and open questions

While applying vendor mitigations reduces risk, it may not eliminate all residual threats if an attacker has already gained a foothold within the internal network. It remains unknown whether this vulnerability has been utilized in ransomware campaigns. Additionally, while CISA has established a due date for federal agencies, healthcare providers must determine their own patching timelines based on their specific risk profile and operational requirements.

Source and editorial note

CVE-2026-76460: Cisco Identity Services Engine Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs Vulnerability · Source date: September 16, 2026 · Retrieved September 17, 2026.

Material facts are tied to the cited primary source. Recommendations are independent defensive analysis unless attributed to the source. Confirm consequential decisions against current authoritative guidance.

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