CVE-2018-0279
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 · uneditedA vulnerability in the Secure Copy Protocol (SCP) server of Cisco Enterprise NFV Infrastructure Software (NFVIS) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to access the shell of the underlying Linux operating system on the affected device. The vulnerability is due to improper input validation of command arguments. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by using crafted arguments when opening a connection to the affected device. An exploit could allow the attacker to gain shell access with a non-root user account to the underlying Linux operating system on the affected device. Due to the system design, access to the Linux shell could allow execution of additional attacks that may have a significant impact on the affected system. This vulnerability affects Cisco devices that are running release 3.7.1, 3.6.3, or earlier releases of Cisco Enterprise NFV Infrastructure Software (NFVIS) when access to the SCP server is allowed on the affected device. Cisco NFVIS Releases 3.5.x and 3.6.x do allow access to the SCP server by default, while Cisco NFVIS Release 3.7.1 does not. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvh25026.
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 confidenceA vulnerability in the SCP server of Cisco Enterprise NFV Infrastructure Software (NFVIS) allows authenticated remote attackers to gain shell access to the underlying Linux OS by sending crafted arguments during SCP connection. The flaw is due to improper input validation of command arguments, affecting versions 3.7.1, 3.6.3, and earlier.
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< 3.6.3= 3.7.1CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 the Cisco NFVIS installationAccess the device CLI and run 'show version' or check system information to confirm the product is Cisco Enterprise NFV Infrastructure SoftwareAffected if The system is not running Cisco Enterprise NFVIS
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Check the installed NFVIS versionRun 'show version' in the NFVIS CLI to retrieve the software version numberAffected if Version is less than 3.6.3 or equal to 3.7.1
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Determine if the SCP server is accessibleCheck the NFVIS configuration for SCP server settings, or attempt an SCP connection to the device from an authorized management stationAffected if SCP server is enabled and accepting connections
The system is affected if it is running Cisco NFVIS version 3.7.1 or any version earlier than 3.6.3 AND the SCP server feature is enabled on the device.
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 data3.6.3
Disable SCP server access if not required (default in 3.5.x/3.6.x). For affected versions, upgrade to a Cisco patched release. Restrict SCP access to trusted management networks.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-0279 — 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-2018-0279 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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