Cisco · IOS and IOS XE Software
CVE-2017-6740
Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software SNMP Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
What it is
The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) subsystem of Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software contains multiple vulnerabilities that could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to remotely execute code on an affected system or cause an affected system to reload. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by sending a crafted SNMP packet to an affected system via IPv4 or IPv6. Only traffic directed to an affected system can be used to exploit these vulnerabilities.
The vulnerabilities are due to a buffer overflow condition in the SNMP subsystem of the affected software. The vulnerabilities affect all versions of SNMP - Versions 1, 2c, and 3. To exploit these vulnerabilities via SNMP Version 2c or earlier, the attacker must know the SNMP read-only community string for the affected system. To exploit these vulnerabilities via SNMP Version 3, the attacker must have user credentials for the affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code and obtain full control of the affected system or cause the affected system to reload.
Customers are advised to apply the workaround as contained in the Workarounds section below. Fixed software information is available via the Cisco IOS Software Checker. All devices that have enabled SNMP and have not explicitly excluded the affected MIBs or OIDs should be considered vulnerable.
There are workarounds that address these vulnerabilities.
CISA: The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) subsystem of Cisco IOS and IOS XE contains a vulnerability that could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to remotely execute code on an affected system or cause an affected system to reload.
What to do
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Deadline for US federal agencies: March 24, 2022
More exploited flaws from Cisco
| Added | Vulnerability | Product | Severity | Attack chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 2023 | SNMP Remote Code Execution | IOS and IOS XE Software | High 8.8 | 21% |
| Mar 3, 2022 | IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software UDP Packet Processing Denial-of-Service | IOS and IOS XE Software | High 7.5 | 6.2% |
| Mar 3, 2022 | IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software Denial-of-Service | IOS and IOS XE Software | Medium 6.5 | 2.1% |
| Mar 3, 2022 | SNMP Remote Code Execution | IOS and IOS XE Software | High 8.8 | 70% |
| Mar 3, 2022 | SNMP Remote Code Execution | IOS and IOS XE Software | High 8.8 | 45% |
| Mar 3, 2022 | SNMP Remote Code Execution | IOS and IOS XE Software | High 8.8 | 11% |
| Mar 3, 2022 | SNMP Remote Code Execution | IOS and IOS XE Software | High 8.8 | 11% |
| Mar 3, 2022 | SNMP Remote Code Execution | IOS and IOS XE Software | High 8.8 | 11% |
Sources: Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (CISA, public domain), CVE records (cve.org) and EPSS (FIRST). The chance of attacks is the EPSS estimate that someone will try to exploit the flaw in the next 30 days.