CVE-2018-11750
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 · uneditedPrevious releases of the Puppet cisco_ios module did not validate a host's identity before starting a SSH connection. As of the 0.4.0 release of cisco_ios, host key checking is enabled by default.
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 confidenceThe Puppet cisco_ios module prior to version 0.4.0 did not validate SSH host keys when establishing connections to Cisco IOS devices, creating a man-in-the-middle vulnerability where an attacker could intercept SSH sessions by presenting a fraudulent host key.
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< 0.4.0CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify cisco_ios module versionRun `puppet module list` or check the module's metadata.json file in the Puppet modulepath (typically /etc/puppetlabs/code/environments/production/modules) to find the installed version of the cisco_ios moduleAffected if The installed version is lower than 0.4.0 (e.g., 0.3.x, 0.2.x, etc.)
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Locate cisco_ios module configurationFind the cisco_ios module directory in the Puppet modulepath and look for configuration files such as init.pp, ssh.rb, or any provider files that handle SSH connections to Cisco IOS devicesAffected if Configuration files exist that handle SSH connections to Cisco devices
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Check SSH host key validation settingInspect the module's SSH provider code or configuration files for the presence and value of host key verification settings (commonly parameters like `strict_host_key_checking`, `verify_host_key`, or similar SSH options used when connecting to devices)Affected if Host key validation is disabled, set to false, or the parameter is absent/undefined in the SSH connection configuration
You are affected if the cisco_ios module version is below 0.4.0 AND SSH host key validation is not enabled in the module's configuration for device connections
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 data0.4.0
Upgrade to cisco_ios module version 0.4.0 or later, which enables host key checking by default to validate the remote host's identity before establishing SSH connections.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 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 $1,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-11750 — 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-2018-11750 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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