CVE-2018-0154 Cisco IOS Software Integrated Services Module for VPN Denial-of-Service

Exploited in the wild High 7.5 Published 28 Mar 2018 Updated 12 Jan 2026

Unauthenticated remote attackers can cause a denial of service on Cisco ISM-VPN devices by sending crafted VPN traffic, requiring a software patch.

Exploited in the wild: Since 3 Mar 2022
Login needed: Not needed
Attackable: Over the internet
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: None listed

What is CVE-2018-0154?

CVE-2018-0154 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Cisco Ios, published on 28 Mar 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

Official description

A vulnerability in the crypto engine of the Cisco Integrated Services Module for VPN (ISM-VPN) running Cisco IOS Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient handling of VPN traffic by the affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted VPN traffic to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the affected device to hang or crash, resulting in a DoS condition. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvd39267.

Weakness: CWE-399

Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-0154?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Cisco Ios.

How do I fix CVE-2018-0154?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-0154 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 17 Mar 2022.

Upgrade, then put limits on request size, rate and nesting depth so one client cannot exhaust the service. More about Denial of service.

Is CVE-2018-0154 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2018-0154 in the wild since at least 3 Mar 2022.

All Cisco Ios vulnerabilities

Sources

Also known as GHSA-gj5f-9m2c-w52m.