CVE-2018-0171

Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software Smart Install Remote Code Execution

9.8 CRITICALActively exploited (CISA KEV)EPSS 99.5%

Published28 Mar 2018
Added to CISA KEV3 Nov 2021
Remediation due3 May 2022

Description

A vulnerability in the Smart Install feature of Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to trigger a reload of an affected device, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition, or to execute arbitrary code on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to improper validation of packet data. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted Smart Install message to an affected device on TCP port 4786. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause a buffer overflow on the affected device, which could have the following impacts: Triggering a reload of the device, Allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the device, Causing an indefinite loop on the affected device that triggers a watchdog crash. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvg76186.

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorNetwork

Attack complexityLow

Privileges requiredNone

User interactionNone

ScopeUnchanged

ConfidentialityHigh

IntegrityHigh

AvailabilityHigh

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

Affected products

Cisco iOS15.2\(5\)e

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-20180328-smi2

References

https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/advisories/ICSA-18-107-04Third Party AdvisoryUS Government Resource
https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/advisories/ICSA-18-107-05Third Party AdvisoryUS Government Resource
https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20180328-smi2Vendor Advisory
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2018-0171US Government Resource
https://www.darkreading.com/perimeter/attackers-exploit-cisco-switch-issue-as-vendor-warns-of-yet-another-critical-flaw/d/d-id/1331490Press/Media Coverage
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/103538Third Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040580Third Party AdvisoryVDB Entry

Related CVEs

Recent high-severity vulnerabilities sharing a weakness type.

Frequently asked

Is CVE-2018-0171 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2018-0171 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added 3 Nov 2021.

How severe is CVE-2018-0171?

CVE-2018-0171 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, rated critical. EPSS estimates a 99.5% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2018-0171?

Affected products include Cisco iOS.

How do I fix CVE-2018-0171?

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-2018-0171 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.