CVE-2018-0303: A vulnerability in the Cisco Discovery Protocol component of Cisco FXOS Software and Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent att...

Description

A vulnerability in the Cisco Discovery Protocol component of Cisco FXOS Software and Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to execute arbitrary code as root or cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on the affected device. The vulnerability exists because of insufficiently validated Cisco Discovery Protocol packet headers. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted Cisco Discovery Protocol packet to a Layer 2 adjacent affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause a buffer overflow that could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code as root or cause a DoS condition on the affected device. This vulnerability affects the following if configured to use Cisco Discovery Protocol: Firepower 4100 Series Next-Generation Firewalls, Firepower 9300 Security Appliance, MDS 9000 Series Multilayer Switches, Nexus 1000V Series Switches, Nexus 1100 Series Cloud Services Platforms, Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders, Nexus 3000 Series Switches, Nexus 3500 Platform Switches, Nexus 5500 Platform Switches, Nexus 5600 Platform Switches, Nexus 6000 Series Switches, Nexus 7000 Series Switches, Nexus 7700 Series Switches, Nexus 9000 Series Fabric Switches in Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) mode, Nexus 9000 Series Switches in standalone NX-OS mode, Nexus 9500 R-Series Line Cards and Fabric Modules, UCS 6100 Series Fabric Interconnects, UCS 6200 Series Fabric Interconnects, UCS 6300 Series Fabric Interconnects. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvc22202, CSCvc22205, CSCvc22208, CSCvc88078, CSCvc88150, CSCvc88159, CSCvc88162, CSCvc88167.

Metrics

EPSS Probability

1.15%

62.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Cisco	Nx-Os	7.0\(0\)hsk\(0.357\)
Cisco	Nx-Os	8.1\(0.2\)s0
Cisco	Nx-Os	8.8\(0.1\)
Cisco	Nx-Os	8.0\(1\)
Cisco	Nx-Os	8.8\(3.5\)s0
Cisco	Nx-Os	7.0\(3\)i4\(7\)
Cisco	Nx-Os	7.0\(3\)i7\(1\)
Cisco	Nx-Os	3.1\(3a\)a
Cisco	Firepower Extensible Operating System	>= 1.1, < 1.1.4.179
Cisco	Firepower Extensible Operating System	>= 2.0, < 2.0.1.153
Cisco	Firepower Extensible Operating System	>= 2.1.1, < 2.1.1.86
Cisco	Firepower Extensible Operating System	>= 2.2.1, < 2.2.1.70
Cisco	Firepower Extensible Operating System	>= 2.2.2, < 2.2.2.17

References

http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1041169Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20180620-fxnxos-dosVendor Advisory
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1041169Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20180620-fxnxos-dosVendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jun 21, 2018
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-0303?

A vulnerability in the Cisco Discovery Protocol component of Cisco FXOS Software and Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to execute arbitrary code as root or cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on the affected device. The vulnerability exists because of insufficiently validated Cisco Discovery Protocol packet headers. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted Cisco Discovery Protocol packet to a Layer 2 adjacent affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause a buffer overflow that could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code as root or cause a DoS condition on the affected device. This vulnerability affects the following if configured to use Cisco Discovery Protocol: Firepower 4100 Series Next-Generation Firewalls, Firepower 9300 Security Appliance, MDS 9000 Series Multilayer Switches, Nexus 1000V Series Switches, Nexus 1100 Series Cloud Services Platforms, Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders, Nexus 3000 Series Switches, Nexus 3500 Platform Switches, Nexus 5500 Platform Switches, Nexus 5600 Platform Switches, Nexus 6000 Series Switches, Nexus 7000 Series Switches, Nexus 7700 Series Switches, Nexus 9000 Series Fabric Switches in Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) mode, Nexus 9000 Series Switches in standalone NX-OS mode, Nexus 9500 R-Series Line Cards and Fabric Modules, UCS 6100 Series Fabric Interconnects, UCS 6200 Series Fabric Interconnects, UCS 6300 Series Fabric Interconnects. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvc22202, CSCvc22205, CSCvc22208, CSCvc88078, CSCvc88150, CSCvc88159, CSCvc88162, CSCvc88167.

How severe is CVE-2018-0303?

Severity scoring for CVE-2018-0303 is pending analysis. The EPSS model estimates a 1.15% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2018-0303?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.