CVE-2018-0161
CVE-2018-0161 is a security flaw in Cisco IOS Software, the operating system on Cisco’s routers and switches. Attackers can crash Cisco IOS Software or stop it working. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 3 Mar 2022.[1]
Cisco IOS Software is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. Cisco has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it a resource management errors in Cisco IOS Software. In its words: “A vulnerability in the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) subsystem of Cisco IOS Software running on certain models of Cisco Catalyst Switches could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “A vulnerability in the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) subsystem of Cisco IOS Software running on certain models of Cisco Catalyst Switches could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition, aka a GET MIB Object ID Denial of Service Vulnerability. The vulnerability is due to a condition that could occur when the affected software processes an SNMP read request that contains a request for the ciscoFlashMIB object ID (OID). An attacker could trigger this vulnerability by issuing an SNMP GET request for the ciscoFlashMIB OID on an affected device. A successful exploit could cause the affected device to restart due to a SYS-3-CPUHOG. This vulnerability affects the following Cisco devices if they are running a vulnerable release of Cisco IOS Software and are configured to use SNMP Version 2 (SNMPv2) or SNMP Version 3…”[2]
The underlying weakness is CWE-399, in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.
It scores 6.3 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it medium, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; Cisco’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as Cisco IOS Software.
Most families won’t have Cisco IOS Software; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 3 Mar 2022, 1,436 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 17 Mar 2022 to fix it.[1]
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 4%. That’s in the top 10% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as not automatable: each attack takes some work.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
Cisco has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]
- Check whether you use it.Cisco IOS Software is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
- Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed, or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 17 Mar 2022 to fix it.
- If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.
You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 6.3.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 4%.[4] |
See also
Other Cisco IOS Software flaws
- CVE-2018-0180: denial-of-service ·
- CVE-2018-0179: denial-of-service ·
- CVE-2018-0154: integrated services module for VPN denial-of-service ·
Other Cisco flaws
- CVE-2026-76418, Cisco Secure Firewall ASA Software and Cisco Secure FTD Software: unchecked return value to NULL pointer dereference ·
- CVE-2026-76519, Cisco Secure Email Gateway: relative path traversal ·
- CVE-2026-76504, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager: hex encoding ·
- CVE-2026-76460, Cisco Identity Services Engine: incorrect use of privileged APIs ·
- CVE-2026-76461, Cisco Secure Email Gateway: SQL injection ·
Similar flaws
- CVE-2010-0806, Microsoft Internet Explorer: use-after-free ·
- CVE-2013-3893, Microsoft Internet Explorer: resource management errors ·
- CVE-2014-0502, Adobe Flash Player: double free vulnerablity ·
- CVE-2009-4324, Adobe Acrobat and Reader: use-after-free ·
- CVE-2012-2539, Microsoft Word: remote code execution ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2022-20708, Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers: small business RV series routers stack-based buffer overflow ·
- CVE-2022-20703, Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers: small business RV series routers stack-based buffer overflow ·
- CVE-2022-20701, Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers: small business RV series routers stack-based buffer overflow ·
- CVE-2022-20700, Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers: small business RV series routers stack-based buffer overflow ·
- CVE-2022-20699, Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers: small business RV series routers stack-based buffer overflow ·
Every Cisco flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in March 2022
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Cisco IOS Software Resource Management Errors Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 3 Mar 2022.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2018-0161 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 28 Mar 2018.
- ^ Cisco. Advisories and fixes: tools.cisco.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.041, percentile 90.8, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2018-0161”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.