CVE-2018-0172
CVE-2018-0172 is a high-severity vulnerability in Cisco Ios with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.6. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming it has been exploited in the wild (added 2022-03-03). The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-787.
Key facts
- Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.6)
- CVSS v2: 7.8
- EPSS exploit prediction: 8% (94th percentile)
- Actively exploited: Yes — listed in CISA KEV (added 2022-03-03)
- EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2018-0995
- EU exploitation: Flagged exploited in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (since 2022-03-03)
- Weakness: CWE-787
- Affected product: Cisco Ios
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
A vulnerability in the DHCP option 82 encapsulation functionality of Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause an affected device to reload, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability exists because the affected software performs incomplete input validation of option 82 information that it receives in DHCP Version 4 (DHCPv4) packets from DHCP relay agents. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted DHCPv4 packet to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause a heap overflow condition on the affected device, which will cause the device to reload and result in a DoS condition. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvg62730.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2018-0172?
- A vulnerability in the DHCP option 82 encapsulation functionality of Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause an affected device to reload, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability exists because the affected software performs incomplete input validation of option 82 information that it receives in DHCP Version 4 (DHCPv4) packets from DHCP relay agents. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted DHCPv4 packet to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause a heap overflow condition on the affected device, which will cause the device to reload and result in a DoS condition. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvg62730.
- How severe is CVE-2018-0172?
- CVE-2018-0172 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.6, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2018-0172 being actively exploited?
- Yes. CVE-2018-0172 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2022-03-03, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.
- What products are affected by CVE-2018-0172?
- CVE-2018-0172 primarily affects Cisco Ios. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2018-0172?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.
- Does CVE-2018-0172 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
- Yes. CVE-2018-0172 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2018-0995. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2022-03-03).
- When was CVE-2018-0172 published?
- CVE-2018-0172 was published on 2018-03-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/103552
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040591
- https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/advisories/ICSA-18-107-04
- https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/advisories/ICSA-18-107-05
- https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20180328-dhcpr1
- https://www.tenable.com/security/research/tra-2018-06
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2018-0172
Affected products (2)
- cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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