VulnTideExploited vulnerabilities, by vendor. Data as of 28 Oct 2026.
Known exploitedIn CISA's KEV catalog since 3 November 2021Ransomware use: unknown
Cisco IOS and IOS XE

CVE-2018-0171: Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software Smart Install Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Is it exploited?

Yes. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 3 Nov 2021, 1,316 days after the CVE record was published.

How likely is exploitation in the next 30 days?
99.5%

EPSS score, percentile 99.9 of all scored records

How severe?
7.5 High

CVSS v3.1 base score, from CISA's enrichment of the record

What should I do?

CISA deadline 3 May 2022. Apply updates per vendor instructions.

The CVE record links no vendor advisory, patch or mitigation.

Which versions are affected?

Affected

  • Cisco IOS and IOS XE

Versions by product

Source: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, 2026.10.28, as of 28 Oct 2026; FIRST Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), v2026.06.15, as of 28 Oct 2026; CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.

What to do

Required action, set by CISA

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

CISA due date for this action: 3 May 2022.

Advisories and patches

The CVE record links no vendor advisory, patch or mitigation.

Linked from CISA's catalog entry

Affected products and versions

As listed in the CVE record.

n/a Cisco IOS and IOS XE
StatusVersions
AffectedCisco IOS and IOS XE

Source: CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.

About this vulnerability

Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software improperly validates packet data, allowing an unauthenticated, remote attacker to trigger a reload of an affected device, cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition, or perform code execution on the affected device.

Summary: CISA's KEV catalog, as of 28 Oct 2026.

  • CISA added CVE-2018-0171 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 3 Nov 2021.
  • CISA's ransomware flag for this entry is "Unknown": no evidence of ransomware use in the catalog, which is not proof of none.
  • The due date CISA sets for the required action is 3 May 2022.
  • The CVE record was published on 28 Mar 2018, 1,316 days before it was added to KEV.
  • The CVE record carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (High), taken from CISA's enrichment of the record.
  • FIRST's EPSS model puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 99.5% (percentile 99.9), as of 28 Oct 2026.
  • CISA's SSVC assessment in the CVE record: exploitation active, automatable yes, technical impact total.

Source: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, 2026.10.28, as of 28 Oct 2026; CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026; FIRST Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), v2026.06.15, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.

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.

Source: CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.

Weakness

CWE and CAPEC are maintained by MITRE; the entries are those named in the CVE record and the KEV entry.

Timeline

DateEvent
28 Mar 2018CVE record published
3 Nov 2021Added to CISA KEV
3 May 2022CISA due date for the required action
12 Jan 2026CVE record last updated

References

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