How severe is CVE-2018-0121?

CVE-2018-0121 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-0121 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (83rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-0121?

CVE-2018-0121 primarily affects Cisco Elastic Services Controller. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-0121?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2018-0121 published?

CVE-2018-0121 was published on 2018-02-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-0121

CVE-2018-0121 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Cisco Elastic Services Controller with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-287.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (83rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-287
Affected product: Cisco Elastic Services Controller
Published: 2018-02-22
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A vulnerability in the authentication functionality of the web-based service portal of Cisco Elastic Services Controller Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass authentication and execute arbitrary actions with administrator privileges on an affected system. The vulnerability is due to improper security restrictions that are imposed by the web-based service portal of the affected software. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by submitting an empty password value to an affected portal when prompted to enter an administrative password for the portal. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass authentication and gain administrator privileges for the web-based service portal of the affected software. This vulnerability affects Cisco Elastic Services Controller Software Release 3.0.0. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvg29809.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-0121?: A vulnerability in the authentication functionality of the web-based service portal of Cisco Elastic Services Controller Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass authentication and execute arbitrary actions with administrator privileges on an affected system. The vulnerability is due to improper security restrictions that are imposed by the web-based service portal of the affected software. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by submitting an empty password value to an affected portal when prompted to enter an administrative password for the portal. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass authentication and gain administrator privileges for the web-based service portal of the affected software. This vulnerability affects Cisco Elastic Services Controller Software Release 3.0.0. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvg29809.
How severe is CVE-2018-0121?: CVE-2018-0121 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-0121 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (83rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-0121?: CVE-2018-0121 primarily affects Cisco Elastic Services Controller. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-0121?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2018-0121 published?: CVE-2018-0121 was published on 2018-02-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:cisco:elastic_services_controller:3.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:virtual_managed_services:3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Other CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) vulnerabilities

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