CVE-2026-76452

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-76452 is a SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) in the web-based management interface of Cisco License On-Prem, formerly Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem (SSM On-Prem). The flaw stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied input, allowing an authenticated attacker with valid administrative credentials to send a crafted request that manipulates backend SQL queries. Successful exploitation enables reading sensitive contents of the internal database that should not be accessible even to administrative users, impacting system confidentiality (CVSS 4.9, C:H).

Technical Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the web-based management interface of Cisco License On-Prem / SSM On-Prem. Per the NVD description, the root cause is "insufficient validation of user-supplied input," which permits an authenticated, remote attacker to "conduct SQL injection attacks against an affected application."

Injection point classification: this is a SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89). No specific URL endpoint, parameter name, HTTP method, or code function is named in the available intelligence. Analysis must therefore remain at the vulnerability-class level:

• Attack surface: The web-based management interface — an HTTP/HTTPS-reachable administrative application. Because the CVSS vector is AV:N, the service is network-accessible; because PR:H is set, the attacker must already hold valid administrative user credentials on the affected application.
• Mechanism: User-controlled input that is not properly validated or parameterized is incorporated into a database query. A crafted request causes the application to interpret the injected input as SQL syntax rather than data, altering query logic. The NVD description confirms the outcome is read-only data exposure — "read additional contents of the internal database … that should not normally be accessible to administrative users."
• Impact scoping per vector: C:H (high confidentiality impact), I:N (no integrity impact), A:N (no availability impact). The syntax suggests the crafted query is used for data extraction rather than data modification or denial of service, though injection primitives in principle may be more flexible than the observed vector implies.
• Authentication gate: Exploitation requires valid administrative credentials. This constrains exploitation to insiders, compromised admin accounts, or attackers who have already achieved privilege escalation within the application.

No public proof-of-concept, exploit code, or Nuclei template is known for this CVE at the time of writing. The EPSS score (0.00370, ~28.9th percentile) reflects low near-term exploitation likelihood, consistent with the privileged access prerequisite. Treat as UNPATCHED: no patch evidence is available from any tracked source, and no vendor advisory or affected version range has been confirmed.

Exploitation Scenarios

The following attack chain is inferred from the vulnerability class (SQL injection) and the constraints stated in the NVD description. No public PoC is available; no specific endpoint, parameter, or payload is known or asserted here.

1. Reconnaissance / target identification. An attacker identifies an internet- or intranet-exposed Cisco License On-Prem management interface. This is achievable via Shodan-style discovery using the dorks in the metadata (e.g., http.title:"License On-Prem", http.html:"SSM On-Prem") or through internal network enumeration. The attacker must also determine a path to valid administrative credentials — via credential theft, password reuse, insider access, or social engineering — because PR:H mandates authenticated administrative access.

2. Triggering the flaw class. After authenticating to the web-based management interface, the attacker locates an input field (form, search box, or query parameter) that is passed to the backend database without sufficient validation. Because no endpoint is named in the available intelligence, the specific injection point cannot be identified in advance; the attacker would probe request parameters by injecting SQL metacharacters and observing application errors, response timing differences, or content changes.

3. Payload / execution method (class level). The attacker submits a crafted request in which an input value contains SQL syntax that modifies the underlying query — for example, altering a WHERE clause to broaden the result set or chaining query logic to select from tables beyond the user's intended scope. The database engine executes the attacker-influenced query as part of normal application processing. The NVD description confirms the request is "crafted" and delivered to the "web-based management interface."

4. Post-exploitation impact. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to "read additional contents of the internal database of an affected application that should not normally be accessible to administrative users." Consistent with the CVSS C:H / I:N / A:N vector, the confirmed outcome is data disclosure only — no data modification or service disruption is described. Exposed data could include license records, account data, or other internal database contents. Because the attacker is already an administrator, the marginal gain is data beyond administrative visibility, potentially including records belonging to other tenants, users, or internal system tables.

Impact Assessment

Confidentiality: High (C:H). The vulnerability explicitly enables read access to internal database contents that exceed the intended access boundary even for administrative users.

Integrity / Availability: None per the CVSS vector (I:N, A:N). The description does not state that queries can modify or destroy data, and no denial-of-service outcome is described.

CVSS 3.1 base score: 4.9 (Medium). Breakdown by metric:

• AV:N — remotely exploitable over the network.
• AC:L — no special conditions beyond sending a crafted request.
• PR:H — the attacker requires valid administrative credentials, which is the primary limiting factor on the score.
• UI:N — no user interaction required.
• S:U — impact is scoped to the vulnerable application.
• C:H / I:N / A:N — as above.

Blast radius: The direct target is the Cisco License On-Prem / SSM On-Prem application and its backend database. Because licensing infrastructure often sits centrally in an organization and integrates with network device management, the internal database may hold sensitive operational data. Systems that consume license data from this platform are not directly compromised by this CVE, but disclosure of their license/provisioning data may aid lateral movement or further targeting.

Exploitability in practice: Constrained by the credentialed-access requirement. The realistic threat actors are malicious insiders, attackers operating with stolen administrative credentials, or adversaries who have already compromised an administrator workstation. The low EPSS score and absence of KEV listing and public exploits indicate no observed mass exploitation. The highest residual risk is for organizations with externally exposed management interfaces or weak administrative credential hygiene.

Detection Guidance

Sigma Rule

title: Potential SQL Injection Against Cisco License On-Prem Management Interface
id: 8f2c1a44-7d3e-4b91-9c2a-0e5f6d7a8b9c
status: experimental
description: Detects SQL metacharacter patterns in HTTP requests targeting the Cisco License On-Prem (SSM On-Prem) web-based management interface, consistent with CVE-2026-76452 SQL injection attempts.
references:
  - https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-76452
author: valtersit.com
date: 2026-01-01
logsource:
  category: webserver
  product: apache
detection:
  selection_method:
    cs-method:
      - GET
      - POST
  selection_uri:
    cs-uri-query|contains:
      - 'or+1=1'
      - "or 1=1"
      - 'union+select'
      - "union select"
      - 'sleep('
      - 'benchmark('
      - "' or '"
      - '%27%20or%20'
  selection_path:
    cs-uri-stem|contains:
      - '/ssm'
      - '/license'
      - '/onprem'
  condition: selection_method and selection_uri and selection_path
falsepositives:
  - Legitimate administrative activity containing SQL-like strings in search fields
  - Security scanners and authorized penetration tests
level: medium
tags:
  - attack.t1190
  - cwe.89

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2026_76452_SQLi_WebRequest
{
    meta:
        description = "Detects SQL injection payload patterns in web request logs or captures targeting Cisco License On-Prem (CVE-2026-76452)"
        author = "valtersit.com"
        date = "2026-01-01"
        reference = "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-76452"
        cve = "CVE-2026-76452"

    strings:
        $sqli1 = "UNION SELECT" nocase
        $sqli2 = "UNION ALL SELECT" nocase
        $sqli3 = "' OR '1'='1" nocase
        $sqli4 = "OR 1=1" nocase
        $sqli5 = "SLEEP(" nocase
        $sqli6 = "BENCHMARK(" nocase
        $sqli7 = "information_schema" nocase
        $sqli8 = "CONCAT(" nocase
        $path1 = "/ssm" nocase
        $path2 = "/license" nocase
        $path3 = "/onprem" nocase

    condition:
        filesize < 10KB and
        any of ($path*) and
        any of ($sqli*)
}

Suricata IDS Rule

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2026-76452 Possible SQL Injection Attempt Against Cisco License On-Prem Management Interface"; flow:established,to_server; http.method; content:"GET" or content:"POST"; http.uri; content:"/ssm"; nocase; http.uri; content:"union"; nocase; http.uri; content:"select"; nocase; distance:0; reference:cve,CVE-2026-76452; reference:url,https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-76452; classtype:web-application-attack; sid:202676452; rev:1;)

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2026-76452 Possible SQL Injection Boolean/Timing Pattern in Cisco License On-Prem Request"; flow:established,to_server; http.method; content:"GET" or content:"POST"; http.uri; content:"/license"; nocase; http.uri; content:"or 1=1"; nocase; py; reference:cve,CVE-2026-76452; classtype:web-application-attack; sid:202676453; rev:1;)

Elastic Detection

sequence by source.ip with maxspan=30s
  [http where http.request.method in ("GET", "POST") and
     wildcard(http.request.uri.path, "/ssm*") and
     wildcard(http.request.uri.query, "*union*select*")]
  [http where http.request.method in ("GET", "POST") and
     wildcard(http.request.uri.path, "/ssm*") and
     wildcard(http.request.uri.query, "*or+1=1*")]

Splunk SPL Query

index=web sourcetype=access_combined
| eval uri_lower = lower(uri)
| where (match(uri_lower, "/ssm") OR match(uri_lower, "/license") OR match(uri_lower, "/onprem"))
| where (match(uri_lower, "union.*select") OR match(uri_lower, "or\+1%3d1") OR match(uri_lower, "sleep\(") OR match(uri_lower, "benchmark\(") OR match(uri_lower, "information_schema"))
| stats count values(uri) as injection_uris values(clientip) as src_ips by clientip, status
| where count > 5

Wazuh OSSEC Rule

<group name="web,sql_injection,cve_2026_76452,">
  <rule id="2026764" level="10">
    <if_sid>31100,31101,31103,31104,31106,31108</if_sid>
    <id>^CVE-2026-76452$</id>
    <description>CVE-2026-76452: Possible SQL injection attempt against Cisco License On-Prem management interface</description>
    <group>sql_injection,web_attack,</group>
  </rule>

  <rule id="2026765" level="12">
    <if_sid>31100,31101,31103,31104,31106,31108</if_sid>
    <url>union.*select|or\+1%3d1|benchmark\(|information_schema</url>
    <description>CVE-2026-76452: SQL injection payload pattern detected in web request targeting Cisco License On-Prem</description>
    <group>sql_injection,web_attack,</group>
  </rule>
</group>

Mitigation & Patch Guidance

Patch confidence: 0/4 (UNPATCHED) — no patch evidence is available from any tracked source, and no vendor advisory or fixed version has been identified. The following guidance is provisional and must be validated against an official Cisco advisory when one becomes available.

1. Immediate mitigations:

   • Restrict access to the Cisco License On-Prem web-based management interface to trusted administrative networks only (management VLAN, VPN, or bastion host). Do not expose the interface to the public internet. The Shodan dorks in the metadata can be used defensively to identify unauthorized exposure of your own assets.
   • Enforce strong, unique administrative credentials and enable multi-factor authentication on the management interface where supported. Because exploitation requires valid administrative credentials, credential hygiene directly reduces risk.
   • Audit and rotate administrative credentials; investigate any anomalous authentication to the management interface.
   • Deploy the detection rules above across WAF, IDS, SIEM, and web server logs to monitor for SQL metacharacter patterns in requests to the management interface.
   • Consider WAF virtual patching (generic SQL injection rulesets) in front of the interface as a compensating control.

2. Patch / upgrade steps:

   • Monitor the Cisco Security Advisories portal (https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/publicationListing.x) for an advisory addressing Cisco License On-Prem / SSM On-Prem SQL injection.
   • When a fixed release is published, test the upgrade in a non-production environment, then apply it to all affected instances. Confirm the affected version range from the advisory before planning rollout.
   • Since no fixed version is currently identified, do not assume any current release is patched. Maintain compensating controls until a vendor fix is verified applied.

3. Long-term hardening:

   • Apply the principle of least privilege to administrative accounts on the licensing platform; separate read-only operational accounts from full administrators.
   • Implement parameterized queries / prepared statements as the permanent code-level fix (vendor responsibility).
   • Conduct regular vulnerability scanning and database activity monitoring on the license management database to detect anomalous query results being returned.
   • Include licensing infrastructure in penetration testing and architecture review, since it is often overlooked despite being security-critical.

References

• NVD — CVE-2026-76452: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-76452
• CWE-89 — Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/89.html
• Cisco Security Advisories portal: https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/publicationListing.x
• MITRE ATT&CK T1190 — Exploit Public-Facing Application: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1190/
• FIRST EPSS — CVE-2026-76452 score lookup: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-76452

No threat actor campaigns, public exploits, or exploit-in-the-wild evidence are known for CVE-2026-76452. The CVE is not listed in CISA KEV, no public proof-of-concept or Nuclei template has been identified, and the EPSS score (0.00370) indicates low predicted exploitation activity.