How severe is CVE-2018-15371?

CVE-2018-15371 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.7, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-15371 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (32nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-15371?

CVE-2018-15371 affects Cisco Ios Xe. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-15371?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2018-15371 published?

CVE-2018-15371 was published on 2018-10-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-15371

CVE-2018-15371 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Ios Xe with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.7. 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: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.7)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (32nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-287
Affected product: Cisco Ios Xe
Published: 2018-10-05
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A vulnerability in the shell access request mechanism of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to bypass authentication and gain unrestricted access to the root shell of an affected device. The vulnerability exists because the affected software has insufficient authentication mechanisms for certain commands. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by requesting access to the root shell of an affected device, after the shell access feature has been enabled. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass authentication and gain unrestricted access to the root shell of the affected device.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-15371?: A vulnerability in the shell access request mechanism of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to bypass authentication and gain unrestricted access to the root shell of an affected device. The vulnerability exists because the affected software has insufficient authentication mechanisms for certain commands. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by requesting access to the root shell of an affected device, after the shell access feature has been enabled. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass authentication and gain unrestricted access to the root shell of the affected device.
How severe is CVE-2018-15371?: CVE-2018-15371 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.7, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-15371 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (32nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-15371?: CVE-2018-15371 affects Cisco Ios Xe. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-15371?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2018-15371 published?: CVE-2018-15371 was published on 2018-10-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20180926-shell-access

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe:16.3\(1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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