Cisco · IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software
CVE-2018-0159
Cisco IOS and XE Software Internet Key Exchange Version 1 Denial-of-Service Vulnerability
What it is
A vulnerability in the implementation of Internet Key Exchange Version 1 (IKEv1) functionality in 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 is due to improper validation of specific IKEv1 packets. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted IKEv1 packets to an affected device during an IKE negotiation. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause an affected device to reload, resulting in a DoS condition. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCuj73916.
CISA: A vulnerability in the implementation of Internet Key Exchange Version 1 (IKEv1) functionality in 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.
What to do
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Deadline for US federal agencies: March 17, 2022
More exploited flaws from Cisco
| Added | Vulnerability | Product | Severity | Attack chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 3, 2022 | Smart Install Denial-of-Service | IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software | High 7.5 | 9.4% |
| Mar 3, 2022 | IOS and XE Software Internet Key Exchange Memory Leak | IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software | High 8.6 | 7.2% |
| Oct 14, 2026 | Relative Path Traversal | Secure Email Gateway | Critical 9.8 | 2.2% |
| Sep 30, 2026 | Hex Encoding | Catalyst SD-WAN Manager | Critical 9.8 | 39% |
| Sep 16, 2026 | Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs | Identity Services Engine | Critical 10.0 | 76% |
| Sep 14, 2026 | SQL Injection | Secure Email Gateway | Critical 9.8 | 30% |
| Sep 9, 2026 | Firewall Management Center Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel | Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) and Security Cloud Control (SCC) Firewall Management | Critical 10.0 | 88% |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Heap Inspection | Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) | High 8.6 | 1.0% |
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.