CVE-2018-0156
Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software Smart Install Denial-of-Service Vulnerability
Does this matter?
Known to be exploited in the wild (CISA KEV, CISA remediation deadline 17 March 2022). Treat as an emergency change: patch or isolate now, then hunt for prior compromise.
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. The vulnerability is due to improper validation of packet data. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted packet to an affected device on TCP port 4786. Only Smart Install client switches are affected. Cisco devices that are configured as a Smart Install director are not affected by this vulnerability. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvd40673.
- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
- EPSS
- 9.36% probability · 95th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Listed 3 March 2022 · due 17 March 2022
- Weakness
- CWE-399, CWE-20
- Affected
- cisco/ios · cisco/ios xe
- Source
- psirt@cisco.com
EPSS 9.4% since 27 October 2026; no change recorded yet. The dashed line is the ten per cent mark our analysts treat as “patch before the next change window”. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
CISA notes
Apply updates per vendor instructions. https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-0156
References
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/103569Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040596Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/advisories/ICSA-18-107-04Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource
- https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/advisories/ICSA-18-107-05Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource
- https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20180328-smiVendor Advisory
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/103569Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040596Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/advisories/ICSA-18-107-04Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource
- https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/advisories/ICSA-18-107-05Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource
- https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20180328-smiVendor Advisory
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2018-0156US Government Resource
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.