{"id":"CVE-2017-6738","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2017-6738"],"related":[],"title":"Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software: Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software SNMP Remote Code Execution Vulnerability","description":"The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) subsystem of Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software contains multiple vulnerabilities that could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to remotely execute code on an affected system or cause an affected system to reload. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by sending a crafted SNMP packet to an affected system via IPv4 or IPv6. Only traffic directed to an affected system can be used to exploit these vulnerabilities.\r\n\r The vulnerabilities are due to a buffer overflow condition in the SNMP subsystem of the affected software. The vulnerabilities affect all versions of SNMP - Versions 1, 2c, and 3. To exploit these vulnerabilities via SNMP Version 2c or earlier, the attacker must know the SNMP read-only community string for the affected system. To exploit these vulnerabilities via SNMP Version 3, the attacker must have user credentials for the affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code and obtain full control of the affected system or cause the affected system to reload.\r\n\r Customers are advised to apply the workaround as contained in the Workarounds section below. Fixed software information is available via the Cisco IOS Software Checker. All devices that have enabled SNMP and have not explicitly excluded the affected MIBs or OIDs should be considered vulnerable.\r\n\r   There are workarounds that address these vulnerabilities.","summary":"Cisco IOS and IOS XE have a flaw in the SNMP subsystem that lets a remote attacker run code on the device. CISA lists it as actively exploited in the wild.","severity":"critical","cvss":9.0,"epss":0.10855,"exploited":true,"exploited_at":"2022-03-03T00:00:00+00:00","products":[{"name":"Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software","fixed":[],"affected":"","ecosystem":"vendor"}],"ecosystems":["vendor"],"tags":["cisco","exploited","infrastructure","ios","ios-xe","network-gear"],"not_affected_if":["snmp-disabled"],"how_to_check":"Check whether SNMP is enabled on the device with 'show running-config | include snmp-server'.","fix":"Apply the updates from Cisco's advisory for the affected IOS or IOS XE release; the sources do not name the fixed version.","status":"open","published_at":"2017-07-17T21:29:00+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:52+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-10-23T21:24:10+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","category":"infrastructure","confidence":0.6,"triage":{"at":"2026-10-23T21:24:10Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"Apply the updates from Cisco's advisory for the affected IOS or IOS XE release; the sources do not name the fixed version.\nunknown","reach":"network","impact":"high","summary":"Cisco IOS and IOS XE have a flaw in the SNMP subsystem that lets a remote attacker run code on the device. CISA lists it as actively exploited in the wild.","category":"infrastructure","who_cares":["cisco","ios","ios-xe","network-gear"],"confidence":0.6,"needs_auth":"yes","worst_case":"Attacker runs code on the Cisco device after authenticating over SNMP.","analyst_note":"Find the affected IOS/IOS XE versions, fixed releases, and any SNMP-specific workaround in Cisco's security advisory for CVE-2017-6738.","how_to_check":"Check whether SNMP is enabled on the device with 'show running-config | include snmp-server'.\nunknown\nunknown","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["snmp-disabled"],"user_interaction":"no","needs_special_setup":"unknown","severity_if_unknown":"high"},"cost_usd":0.000484,"input_tokens":2870,"output_tokens":394,"severity_before":"unknown"},"analyst_status":null,"analyst_note":null,"search":"'-2017':19A,22A '-6738':20A,23A '1':169C '2c':170C,180C '3':172C,205C 'activ':66B 'address':291C 'advis':244C 'affect':101C,106C,124C,135C,159C,163C,196C,214C,233C,238C,279C 'allow':90C,220C 'and':26A 'appli':246C 'arbitrari':225C 'attack':56B,94C,111C,184C,207C,222C 'authent':92C 'avail':260C 'buffer':150C 'caus':104C,236C 'checker':266C 'cisa':62B 'cisco':1A,7A,24A,30B,40B,79C,263C 'code':15A,58B,98C,226C 'communiti':192C 'condit':152C 'consid':285C 'contain':85C,250C 'control':230C 'could':89C,112C,219C 'craft':119C 'credenti':211C 'custom':242C 'cve':18A,21A 'devic':61B,268C 'direct':132C 'due':147C 'earlier':182C 'enabl':271C 'exclud':277C 'execut':16A,97C,224C 'explicit':276C 'exploit':31B,67B,113C,141C,174C,199C,218C 'fix':256C 'flaw':47B 'full':229C 'gear':39B 'inform':258C 'infrastructur':32B 'io':2A,4A,8A,10A,33B,35B,41B,43B,80C,82C,264C 'ios':25A,27A 'ios-x':34B 'ipv4':127C 'ipv6':129C 'know':186C 'let':53B 'list':63B 'manag':74C 'mib':280C 'multipl':86C 'must':185C,208C 'network':38B,73C 'network-gear':37B 'obtain':228C 'oid':282C 'overflow':151C 'packet':121C 'protocol':75C 'read':190C 'read-on':189C 'reload':109C,241C 'remot':14A,55B,93C,96C 'run':57B 'section':254C 'send':117C 'simpl':72C 'snmp':13A,50B,76C,120C,155C,167C,178C,188C,203C,272C 'softwar':6A,12A,84C,160C,257C,265C 'software':29A 'string':193C 'subsystem':51B,77C,156C 'success':217C 'system':102C,107C,125C,136C,197C,215C,234C,239C 'traffic':131C 'use':139C 'user':210C 'version':165C,168C,179C,204C 'via':126C,177C,202C,261C 'vulner':17A,87C,115C,143C,145C,162C,176C,201C,286C,293C 'wild':70B 'workaround':248C,253C,289C 'xe':5A,11A,28A,36B,44B,83C","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":null,"tier":null,"verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"first_public_at":"2017-07-17T21:29:00+00:00","kev":{"dateAdded":"2022-03-03","dueDate":"2022-03-24","requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","knownRansomwareCampaignUse":"Unknown"},"cvss_vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","cvss_by":"nvd@nist.gov","poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"kev","external_id":"CVE-2017-6738","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2017-6738","severity":null,"published_at":"2022-03-03T00:00:00+00:00","modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:52+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-25T17:39:58+00:00","note":null},{"source":"epss","external_id":"CVE-2017-6738","url":"https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2017-6738","severity":null,"published_at":null,"modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:13:44+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T19:13:44+00:00","note":null},{"source":"nvd","external_id":"CVE-2017-6738","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-6738","severity":null,"published_at":"2017-07-17T21:29:00+00:00","modified_at":"2026-06-17T01:22:55+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","note":null}],"documents":[],"notice":"Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai"}