{"id":"CVE-2018-0171","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2018-0171"],"related":[],"title":"Cisco IOS and IOS XE: Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software Smart Install Remote Code Execution Vulnerability","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.","summary":"Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software Smart Install improperly validates packet data, letting an unauthenticated remote attacker reload the device or run code on it. CISA lists it as actively exploited in the wild.","severity":"critical","cvss":10.0,"epss":0.99479,"exploited":true,"exploited_at":"2021-11-03T00:00:00+00:00","products":[{"name":"Cisco IOS and IOS XE","fixed":[],"affected":"","ecosystem":"vendor"}],"ecosystems":["vendor"],"tags":["cisco","exploited","infrastructure","ios","ios-xe","network-gear"],"not_affected_if":["patched-ios-version","smart-install-disabled"],"how_to_check":null,"fix":"Apply the Cisco IOS and IOS XE updates per the vendor advisory; the sources do not name the fixed versions.","status":"open","published_at":"2018-03-28T22:29:01+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-10-23T21:33:45+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","category":"infrastructure","confidence":0.7,"triage":{"at":"2026-10-23T21:33:45Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"Apply the Cisco IOS and IOS XE updates per the vendor advisory; the sources do not name the fixed versions.","reach":"network","impact":"high","summary":"Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software Smart Install improperly validates packet data, letting an unauthenticated remote attacker reload the device or run code on it. CISA lists it as actively exploited in the wild.","category":"infrastructure","who_cares":["cisco","ios","ios-xe","network-gear"],"confidence":0.7,"needs_auth":"no","worst_case":"Unauthenticated attacker runs code on the switch or router","analyst_note":"Find the fixed IOS/IOS XE versions and the Smart Install disable command in the Cisco advisory for CVE-2018-0171, linked from the CISA KEV entry.","how_to_check":"unknown","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["smart-install-disabled","patched-ios-version"],"user_interaction":"no","needs_special_setup":"yes","severity_if_unknown":"high"},"cost_usd":0.000471,"input_tokens":2882,"output_tokens":365,"severity_before":"unknown"},"analyst_status":"queued","analyst_note":"Find the fixed IOS/IOS XE versions and the Smart Install disable command in the Cisco advisory for CVE-2018-0171, linked from the CISA KEV entry.","search":"'-0171':20A,23A '-2018':19A,22A '4786':150C 'activ':68B 'affect':101C,118C,145C,165C,195C 'allow':90C,155C,179C 'and':26A 'arbitrari':114C,184C 'attack':55B,94C,131C,157C,181C 'buffer':161C 'bug':203C 'caus':159C,189C 'cisa':64B 'cisco':1A,6A,24A,29B,39B,81C,85C,202C 'code':15A,61B,115C,185C 'condit':110C 'could':89C,132C,154C,168C 'craft':139C 'crash':201C 'cscvg76186':205C 'cve':18A,21A 'data':50B,129C 'denial':106C 'devic':58B,102C,119C,146C,166C,178C,188C,196C 'dos':109C 'due':123C 'execut':16A,113C,183C 'exploit':30B,69B,133C,153C 'featur':79C 'follow':171C 'gear':38B 'id':204C 'impact':172C 'improp':47B,125C 'indefinit':191C 'infrastructur':31B 'instal':13A,46B,78C,141C 'io':2A,4A,7A,9A,32B,34B,40B,42B,82C,86C 'ios':25A,27A 'ios-x':33B 'let':51B 'list':65B 'loop':192C 'messag':142C 'network':37B 'network-gear':36B 'overflow':162C 'packet':49B,128C 'port':149C 'reload':56B,98C,175C 'remot':14A,54B,93C 'result':103C 'run':60B 'send':137C 'servic':108C 'smart':12A,45B,77C,140C 'softwar':11A,44B,83C,88C 'success':152C 'tcp':148C 'trigger':96C,173C,198C 'unauthent':53B,92C 'valid':48B,126C 'vulner':17A,74C,121C,135C 'watchdog':200C 'wild':72B 'xe':5A,10A,28A,35B,43B,87C","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":null,"tier":null,"verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"first_public_at":"2018-03-28T22:29:01+00:00","kev":{"dateAdded":"2021-11-03","dueDate":"2022-05-03","requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","knownRansomwareCampaignUse":"Unknown"},"cvss_vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","cvss_by":"nvd@nist.gov","poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"kev","external_id":"CVE-2018-0171","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2018-0171","severity":null,"published_at":"2021-11-03T00:00:00+00:00","modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-25T13:39:32+00:00","note":null},{"source":"epss","external_id":"CVE-2018-0171","url":"https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2018-0171","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-2018-0171","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-0171","severity":null,"published_at":"2018-03-28T22:29:01+00:00","modified_at":"2026-06-17T01:29:59+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"}