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IoxApplication · Cisco

CVE-2017-3851

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.0 Published 2017-03-22
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
A Directory Traversal vulnerability in the web framework code of the Cisco application-hosting framework (CAF) component of the Cisco IOx application environment could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to read any file from the CAF in the virtual instance running on the affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by submitting crafted requests to the CAF web interface. The impacts of a successful exploit are limited to the scope of the virtual instance and do not impact the router that is hosting Cisco IOx. Cisco IOx Releases 1.0.0.0 and 1.1.0.0 are vulnerable. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCuy52302.

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 · high confidence

A Directory Traversal vulnerability exists in the Cisco application-hosting framework (CAF) component of Cisco IOx. The flaw allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to read arbitrary files from the CAF within the virtual instance by submitting crafted requests with path traversal sequences. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation in the web framework code.

MitigationUpgrade Cisco IOx to a patched release beyond versions 1.0.0.0 and 1.1.0.0, or implement input validation controls at the web interface to block path traversal patterns.

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
IoxApplication
Affected:= 1.1\(0\)= 1.1.0

CVSS 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
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify if Cisco IOx is installed
    Check for the presence of Cisco IOx installation by looking for IOx-related processes, services, or packages on the system. On Cisco network devices, use 'show iox' or check the device management interface for IOx capabilities.
    Affected if Cisco IOx is not installed on the system - no action needed. If installed, proceed to version check.
  2. Determine the installed Cisco IOx version
    Run the command to display the IOx version - typically 'show version' or 'show iox-host' depending on the device platform, or check the package/version information in the IOx management interface.
    Affected if The installed version matches 1.1.0.0 or 1.1.0, or falls within the 1.1.0.x branch - the system is potentially vulnerable.
  3. Verify the CAF web interface is enabled
    Check the status of the CAF (Cisco Application Hosting Framework) web service. On IOx-enabled devices, verify if the web framework component is running and accessible. Look for the CAF service status in the IOx management interface or via device CLI commands.
    Affected if The CAF web interface is enabled and accessible - this is required for the directory traversal to be exploitable. If disabled, the vulnerability cannot be triggered.
  4. Check network exposure of the CAF service
    Identify if the CAF web service is exposed to network access. Review the device network configuration to determine if the IOx web interface is reachable from untrusted networks or if it is isolated to trusted management networks.
    Affected if The CAF web interface is network-accessible from untrusted sources - an unauthenticated remote attacker could exploit the directory traversal vulnerability.

The system is affected if Cisco IOx version 1.1.0.0 or 1.1.0 is installed AND the CAF web interface is enabled and network-accessible, allowing an unauthenticated attacker to submit path traversal requests.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade Cisco IOx to a patched release beyond versions 1.0.0.0 and 1.1.0.0, or implement input validation controls at the web interface to block path traversal patterns.

Fix this in Iox Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2017-3851 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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