CVE
CVE-2018-0171
Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software Smart Install Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
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.
CRITICAL · CVSS 9.8
⚠ CISA KEV
EPSS 0.9951
Act now
- Listed on CISA KEV (known exploited in the wild)
- SSVC exploitation status: active
- EPSS ≥ 0.50 - high probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
- EPSS percentile: top 0% of all CVEs by exploitation likelihood
- Public exploit or PoC is available
- SSVC automatable: yes - attacks can be scripted at scale
- CVSS base score ≥ 7.0
Sigma rules0
YARA rules0
Look this up elsewhere - one-click external pivots
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How to read a CVE - triage first, then detect and patch
This page is every public fact about CVE-2018-0171, cross-linked. Its job is to answer one question fast - does this need my attention now? - and then hand you the two things you do about it. Here is how an analyst reads it.
Triage: should I act now? Four signals, and they are not interchangeable:
CVSSseverity - how bad it is IF exploited, 0-10. A high CVSS alone is not urgency; a flaw can be a perfect 10 and never actually be attacked.
EPSSprobability - a model’s estimate of the chance it is exploited in the next 30 days, 0-1. This is the “will it actually happen” signal.
CISA KEVconfirmed - it is being exploited in the wild right now. The strongest signal on the page; KEV beats any score.
Weaponisedavailability - public exploits / PoCs, and especially Metasploit modules rated Excellent / Great. Reliable, packaged exploit code means low-skill attackers can use it today.
How they combine: KEV, or a dependable Metasploit module, means patch now regardless of CVSS. High CVSS + low EPSS + no exploit is real but not an emergency - schedule it. Low CVSS but KEV-listed still gets patched now. The verdict above already weighed these for you; this is how it got there.
Then what - two workflows:
Detectwhen you cannot patch today, follow this CVE to the ATT&CK techniques it enables, then Build a SIEM detection (the green button) - author a rule, test it in Atomic, deploy it. That buys visibility while the patch waits.
PatchAffected products / packages tell you if you are exposed; Fixed versions by distribution and Vendor advisories give the exact version that closes it.
Reading order for the panels below: verdict + badges, then Public exploits / Metasploit (is it weaponised), then ATT&CK techniques + Sigma / IDS rules (can I detect it), then Affected products / packages + Fixed versions (am I exposed, what patches it), then Threat actors / IOCs (who uses it), then Scoring & timeline / references (the evidence).
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Required Remediation
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
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ATT&CK techniques
7Techniques this CVE enables - linked via CWECAPECATT&CK. High◆ = named directly in ATT&CK or Nuclei templates.
T1027 · Obfuscated Files or Information T1036.001 · Invalid Code Signature T1539 · Steal Web Session Cookie T1553.002 · Code Signing T1562.003 · Impair Command History Logging T1574.006 · Dynamic Linker Hijacking T1574.007 · Path Interception by PATH Environment Variable
▤ Build a SIEM detection for these techniques
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CAPEC attack patterns
12Attack patterns this CVE enables - the bridge from weakness to ATT&CK technique.
CAPEC-CAPEC-10 · Buffer Overflow via Environment Variables CAPEC-CAPEC-101 · Server Side Include (SSI) Injection CAPEC-CAPEC-104 · Cross Zone Scripting CAPEC-CAPEC-108 · Command Line Execution through SQL Injection CAPEC-CAPEC-109 · Object Relational Mapping Injection CAPEC-CAPEC-110 · SQL Injection through SOAP Parameter Tampering CAPEC-CAPEC-120 · Double Encoding CAPEC-CAPEC-13 · Subverting Environment Variable Values CAPEC-CAPEC-135 · Format String Injection CAPEC-CAPEC-136 · LDAP Injection CAPEC-CAPEC-14 · Client-side Injection-induced Buffer Overflow CAPEC-CAPEC-153 · Input Data Manipulation
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Weakness Classification
CWE-787Out-of-bounds Write
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Affected Products & Versions
1cisco iosall versions
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Public Exploits & PoCs
17These PoC and exploit links come from public sources and are not verified to be safe or functional. Review the code before running anything, and treat unverified entries as untrusted.
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Detection Rules (IDS/IPS)
1Open rulesets (ET Open, Snort Community, abuse.ch) link to source. Commercial rulesets are reference-only.
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Scoring & Timeline
9.8
CRITICAL · CVSS v3.1 · [email protected]
Attack Vector
Network
Adjacent
Local
Physical
Attack Complexity
Low
High
Privileges Required
None
Low
High
User Interaction
None
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Changed
Confidentiality
None
Low
High
Integrity
None
Low
High
Availability
None
Low
High
SSVC triage · cisa-vulnrichment
Exploitation
active
Automatable
yes
Technical impact
total
SSVC asks the questions that actually drive patch urgency: is it being exploited, can attacks be automated, and how total is the impact.
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Vendor Advisories
11cisco-csafcisco-sa-20180328-smi2
splunk-security-contentf52d5c0b-d45d-4304-b300-a4f6a1130dec
splunk-security-content63e3aff9-45d7-4d41-bcdb-9da561fb4533
splunk-security-content61ae09c2-079e-44b1-8be0-74e35c5a679e
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References & Sources
7Source URLs (vendor pages, mailing lists, write-ups). Exploit/PoC links are in their own section above to avoid duplication.