iOSOperating system · Cisco
CVE-2018-0485
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 SM-1T3/E3 firmware on Cisco Second Generation Integrated Services Routers (ISR G2) and the Cisco 4451-X Integrated Services Router (ISR4451-X) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause the ISR G2 Router or the SM-1T3/E3 module on the ISR4451-X to reload, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to improper handling of user input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by first connecting to the SM-1T3/E3 module console and entering a string sequence. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the ISR G2 Router or the SM-1T3/E3 module on the ISR4451-X to reload, resulting in a DoS condition on an affected device.
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 confidenceThis CVE is an unauthenticated remote denial of service vulnerability in Cisco SM-1T3/E3 firmware used on ISR G2 and ISR4451-X routers. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of user input when an attacker connects to the SM-1T3/E3 module console and enters a specific string sequence, causing the device to reload.
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
= 15.6\(3\)m
Ios XeOperating system
all versionsCVSS 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
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/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 router modelRun 'show version' or check hardware inventory to confirm the device is an ISR G2 series or ISR4451-X routerAffected if Model is not ISR G2 or ISR4451-X (not affected)
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Verify SM-1T3/E3 module presenceRun 'show inventory' or 'show hardware' to check if the SM-1T3/E3 module is installed in the routerAffected if SM-1T3/E3 module is not installed (not affected)
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Check Cisco iOS versionRun 'show version' and look for the iOS version number. Compare against the affected version 15.6(3)mAffected if iOS version is 15.6(3)m specifically, or for IOS Xe any version (affected)
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Assess console accessibilityDetermine if the SM-1T3/E3 module console port is accessible via network (Telnet/SSH to the module) or physical access. Check configuration with 'show line' and review access control listsAffected if Console port is exposed and reachable (vulnerable to exploitation)
The environment is affected if the router is an ISR G2 or ISR4451-X with an SM-1T3/E3 module installed, running iOS 15.6(3)m or any IOS Xe version, and the module console is network-accessible or physically accessible to untrusted users.
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 dataApply the Cisco firmware update for the SM-1T3/E3 module on affected ISR G2 and ISR4451-X routers. If no update is available, restrict physical and network access to the module console port.
Fix this in iOS
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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 $2,224.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-0485 — 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-2018-0485 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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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.
- 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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