Ios XeOperating system · Cisco
CVE-2024-20271
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 IP packet processing of Cisco Access Point (AP) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation of certain IPv4 packets. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted IPv4 packet either to or through an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause an affected device to reload unexpectedly, resulting in a DoS condition. To successfully exploit this vulnerability, the attacker does not need to be associated with the affected AP. This vulnerability cannot be exploited by sending IPv6 packets.
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 remote code execution vulnerability exists in the IPv4 packet processing subsystem of Cisco Access Point software. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation of specially crafted IPv4 packets, allowing an unauthenticated attacker to send malicious packets that trigger an unexpected device reload, resulting in denial of service. The vulnerability specifically affects IPv4 traffic only and does not require the attacker to have any association with the targeted access point.
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
Ios XeOperating system
< 17.3.8>= 17.4, < 17.6.6>= 17.7, < 17.9.5>= 17.10, < 17.12.2
Business Access PointsApplication
< 10.9.1.0< 10.6.2.0
Wireless Lan Controller SoftwareOperating system
< 8.10.190.0CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/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 the Cisco device modelLog into the device and run 'show version' or check the device inventory to confirm the model (Access Point, Wireless LAN Controller, or IoS Xe device)Affected if Device is a Cisco Access Point, Wireless LAN Controller, or IoS Xe-based wireless device
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Determine the software versionRun 'show version' and locate the software version string (for IoS Xe it will be in format like 17.x.x, for Business APs like 10.x.x, for WLC like 8.x.x)Affected if Version falls within: IoS Xe < 17.3.8, 17.4 to < 17.6.6, 17.7 to < 17.9.5, or 17.10 to < 17.12.2; Business APs < 10.9.1.0 or < 10.6.2.0; WLC < 8.10.190.0
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Verify IPv4 packet processing is activeCheck if the device is processing IPv4 traffic by reviewing interface status with 'show ip interface brief' or checking active IPv4 configurations on the wireless interfacesAffected if IPv4 interfaces are configured and active on the device (vulnerability only affects IPv4 traffic processing)
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Confirm device is exposed to unauthenticated IPv4 trafficReview network accessibility: check if the AP management or data plane IPv4 interfaces are reachable from untrusted networks, or examine ACLs/firewall rules protecting the deviceAffected if Device management or data plane IPv4 addresses are reachable from untrusted networks without proper filtering
The device is affected if it runs a Cisco AP, WLC, or IoS Xe software version within the affected ranges listed and has IPv4 interfaces active and reachable from untrusted networks.
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.
dbcve · scoped8.10.190.010.6.2.010.9.1.0
Apply the appropriate Cisco software update for affected AP models as specified in the Cisco advisory. If immediate patching is not feasible, consider implementing network segmentation or firewall rules to limit exposure of affected APs to untrusted IPv4 traffic.
Upgrade to the latest stable release in your version branch: IOS XE 17.12.2 or later; Business Access Points 10.9.1.0 or later; Wireless LAN Controller 8.10.190.0 or later
- 1. Identify the current Cisco IOS XE, Business Access Point, or Wireless LAN Controller software version using 'show version' command
- 2. Determine which product family your device falls into based on the affected versions listed
- 3. For IOS XE devices: Upgrade to version 17.3.8 or later, 17.6.6 or later, 17.9.5 or later, or 17.12.2 or later (recommended)
- 4. For Business Access Points: Upgrade to version 10.9.1.0 or later, or 10.6.2.0 or later
- 5. For Wireless LAN Controller Software: Upgrade to version 8.10.190.0 or later
- 6. Download the appropriate Cisco software image from the Cisco Software Download center
- 7. Upload the new image to the device using TFTP, FTP, or SCP
- 8. Verify the upgrade completed successfully with 'show version'
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Ios Xe
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,760.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-20271 — 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-2024-20271 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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