CVE-2017-12237

Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software Internet Key Exchange Denial-of-Service

7.5 HIGHActively exploited (CISA KEV)EPSS 7.07%

Published28 Sept 2017
Added to CISA KEV3 Mar 2022
Remediation due24 Mar 2022

Description

A vulnerability in the Internet Key Exchange Version 2 (IKEv2) module of Cisco IOS 15.0 through 15.6 and Cisco IOS XE 3.5 through 16.5 could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause high CPU utilization, traceback messages, or a reload of an affected device that leads to a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability is due to how an affected device processes certain IKEv2 packets. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending specific IKEv2 packets to an affected device to be processed. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause high CPU utilization, traceback messages, or a reload of the affected device that leads to a DoS condition. This vulnerability affects Cisco devices that have the Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol (ISAKMP) enabled. Although only IKEv2 packets can be used to trigger this vulnerability, devices that are running Cisco IOS Software or Cisco IOS XE Software are vulnerable when ISAKMP is enabled. A device does not need to be configured with any IKEv2-specific features to be vulnerable. Many features use IKEv2, including different types of VPNs such as the following: LAN-to-LAN VPN; Remote-access VPN, excluding SSL VPN; Dynamic Multipoint VPN (DMVPN); and FlexVPN. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvc41277.

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorNetwork

Attack complexityLow

Privileges requiredNone

User interactionNone

ScopeUnchanged

ConfidentialityNone

IntegrityNone

AvailabilityHigh

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected products

Cisco iOS≥ 15.0 ≤ 15.6

Cisco iOS XE≥ 3.5.0e ≤ 16.5

Remediation

No fixed version is recorded in the NVD data. Check the vendor advisory for the latest guidance.

Patch & vendor advisories

https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20170927-ike

References

https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20170927-ikeVendor Advisory
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2017-12237US Government Resource
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/101037Broken LinkThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1039460Broken LinkThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry

Related CVEs

Recent high-severity vulnerabilities sharing a weakness type.

Frequently asked

Is CVE-2017-12237 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2017-12237 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added 3 Mar 2022.

How severe is CVE-2017-12237?

CVE-2017-12237 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5, rated high. EPSS estimates a 7.07% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2017-12237?

Affected products include Cisco iOS, Cisco iOS XE.

How do I fix CVE-2017-12237?

Apply the vendor's patch or advisory guidance, then verify no affected versions remain across your devices.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2017-12237 against the real software inventory on every managed device, every day. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. Because it is on the CISA KEV list, Secuno flags any affected asset as top-priority automatically. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

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Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.