# CVE-2018-0161: Cisco IOS Software Resource Management Errors

> An authenticated remote attacker can cause a denial of service on Cisco Catalyst switches by sending a specific SNMP GET request, requiring SNMPv2 or v3 to be enabled.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 3 Mar 2022 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 28 Mar 2018
- **Updated:** 12 Jan 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-67f4-59mc-w493

## What is CVE-2018-0161?

CVE-2018-0161 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Cisco Ios, published on 28 Mar 2018. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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 (SNMPv3): Cisco Catalyst 2960-L Series Switches, Cisco Catalyst Digital Building Series Switches 8P, Cisco Catalyst Digital Building Series Switches 8U. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvd89541.

Weakness: CWE-399

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-0161?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cisco Ios.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-0161?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-0161 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 17 Mar 2022.

## Is CVE-2018-0161 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2018-0161 in the wild since at least 3 Mar 2022.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Ios

- [CVE-2017-12240](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12240/): Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software DHCP Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2017-3881](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-3881/): Cisco IOS and IOS XE Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2018-0167](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0167/): Cisco IOS, XR, and XE Software Buffer Overflow (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2017-6736](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6736/): Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software SNMP Remote Code Execution (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2017-6737](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6737/): Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software SNMP Remote Code Execution (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-0161 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-0161 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Cisco Ios, published on 28 Mar 2018. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2018-0161 in the wild since at least 3 Mar 2022.

Affected product: Cisco Ios. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0161/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0161/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-0161
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-0161
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-0161

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0161/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.