CVE-2018-0171
Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software Smart Install Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Does this matter?
Known to be exploited in the wild (CISA KEV, CISA remediation deadline 3 May 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, 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
- 9.8 CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 99.48% probability · 100th percentile
- Public exploits
- 1 in Exploit-DB · first 29 March 2018
- CISA KEV
- Listed 3 November 2021 · due 3 May 2022
- Weakness
- CWE-20, CWE-787
- Affected
- cisco/ios
- Source
- psirt@cisco.com
EPSS 99.5% 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-2018-0171
Public exploits (1)
Entries in Exploit-DB that cite this CVE. Links go to the Exploit-DB page and to the file in the public repository; nothing is hosted here. A verified tick means the Exploit-DB team confirmed the exploit works against the stated version.
References
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/103538Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040580Third 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-smi2Vendor Advisory
- 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 Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040580Third 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-smi2Vendor Advisory
- https://www.darkreading.com/perimeter/attackers-exploit-cisco-switch-issue-as-vendor-warns-of-yet-another-critical-flaw/d/d-id/1331490Press/Media Coverage
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2018-0171US Government Resource
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.