iOSOperating system · Cisco
CVE-2013-1146
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe Smart Install client functionality in Cisco IOS 12.2 and 15.0 through 15.3 on Catalyst switches allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device reload) via crafted image list parameters in Smart Install packets, aka Bug ID CSCub55790.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceThe Smart Install client functionality in Cisco IOS 12.2 and 15.0 through 15.3 on Catalyst switches contains a vulnerability where specially crafted Smart Install packets with malformed image list parameters trigger a denial of service, causing the affected device to reload unexpectedly.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
iOSOperating system
= 12.2= 15.0= 15.0\(1\)se= 15.1= 15.2= 15.3CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Cisco IOS versionExecute 'show version' on the device CLI and locate the version string in the output (e.g., 15.1(1)T, 15.2(4)E, 12.2(44)SE)Affected if Version matches 12.2, 15.0, 15.0(1)se, 15.1, 15.2, or 15.3 series (any subrelease within these branches)
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Confirm Smart Install feature is activeExecute 'show vstack' or 'show running-config | include smart-install' to check if Smart Install client functionality is enabled on the deviceAffected if Smart Install client is enabled or configured on the device
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Verify Smart Install listening portCheck if TCP port 4786 is listening or accessible on the device using 'show control-plane host open-ports' or network scanning toolsAffected if Port 4786 (Smart Install) is open and listening for connections
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Review Smart Install configurationExecute 'show running-config | include vstack' and examine interface configurations for any Smart Install related settingsAffected if Smart Install feature appears in the active device configuration
The device is vulnerable if it runs any Cisco IOS 12.2 or 15.0-15.3 version AND has Smart Install client functionality enabled (the feature must be active, not just present in the codebase).
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataDisable the Smart Install feature if not required, or upgrade to a Cisco IOS version beyond 15.3 that addresses this vulnerability. Implement access controls to limit Smart Install traffic to trusted management segments.
Fix this in iOS
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2013-1146 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2013-1146 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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