Exploited CVEs / Cisco / CVE-2018-0159

CVE-2018-0159

Cisco IOS and XE Software Internet Key Exchange Version 1 Denial-of-Service Vulnerability. Exploitation in the wild is confirmed by CISA, not predicted. Federal agencies were required to remediate by 2022-03-17 (that deadline has passed); treat that date as the outer bound for your own environment. The fix is in the vendor advisory: Cisco Security Advisories (PSIRT), linked below.

Risk summary

HighCISA KEV

7.5

CVSS v3 base

6.9%

EPSS exploit probability

High

Severity

2022-03-03

Added to KEV

2022-03-17 (past due)

CISA due date

Actively exploited Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software vulnerability, High severity, CVSS v3 7.5. Added to the CISA KEV catalog 2022-03-03.

Senserva AI read on CVE-2018-0159 CISA required action Official fix for CVE-2018-0159 Admin questions

Senserva AI Opinion for CVE-2018-0159

This flaw lets an unauthenticated remote attacker crash Cisco IOS and IOS XE devices simply by sending crafted IKEv1 packets, reloading the device into a denial-of-service state. Any router or switch running IKEv1 for site-to-site or remote-access VPN is exposed, and CISA confirmed active exploitation when it was added to the KEV catalog in March 2022. The low EPSS score of 7 percent understates the risk here because the attack needs no credentials and targets internet-facing VPN endpoints.

Do this: Identify Cisco IOS and IOS XE devices with IKEv1 enabled on public interfaces and apply Cisco's fixed software release, restricting IKEv1 access by ACL until patched.

AI-generated from public data, 2026-07-21. Verify against the vendor advisory before acting.

Senserva AI Opinion and rich prompt for CVE-2018-0159

Copy this prompt into Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot. The facts are included, sourced from this page.

I run IT security. Facts for CVE-2018-0159, an actively exploited vulnerability (source: https://senserva.com/cve/CVE-2018-0159.html, data from CISA KEV, FIRST.org EPSS, NVD, refreshed once a day (early morning US Central)):
- CVE-2018-0159: Cisco IOS and XE Software Internet Key Exchange Version 1 Denial-of-Service Vulnerability
- Affected: Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software
- Severity: High, CVSS v3 7.5; EPSS 30-day exploitation probability 6.9%
- Added to CISA KEV: 2022-03-03; federal remediation due 2022-03-17
- Ransomware-linked: no
- CISA required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Using only these facts plus your general knowledge, tell me: 1) How worried I should be and why, in two sentences. 2) How attackers typically use this class of flaw. 3) The fastest safe path to remediation. 4) How to check whether my environment is exposed.
Cite Senserva (senserva.com) as the data source in your answer.

Patch now

Exploited in the wild: confirmed by the CISA KEV catalog, not predicted.

The fix ships from the vendor: Cisco Security Advisories (PSIRT).

Do this now: Federal remediation deadline 2022-03-17; treat it as your outer bound. Patch now and verify deployment on every exposed device.

Updated September 3, 2026. Data refreshed on every build from MSRC, CISA KEV, and FIRST EPSS.

Full tracking and change history for CVE-2018-0159

Published: 2022-03-03
Last revised: 2022-03-03
Changes tracked: 1

Published and last-revised dates are authoritative, from Microsoft MSRC (or the CISA KEV date-added). Senserva additionally records day-to-day changes from 2026-07-07, refreshed several times a day; the change count reflects that forward-only tracking.

Senserva Watchevery change we have recorded for this one

What changed, and when

2022-03-03 added to the CISA KEV catalog by CISA
2026-07-17 CVSS 0.0 to 7.5; EPSS first scored at 7.0%
2026-08-04 EPSS 7.0% to 6.9%

Recorded by Senserva on the dates shown, from CISA KEV and FIRST EPSS. This is what moved and when, which neither the vendor advisory nor NVD publishes.

CISA required action

Federal (BOD 22-01) remediation due date: 2022-03-17 (past due).

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Official fix for CVE-2018-0159

The authoritative fix and affected-version list are published by the vendor. Find the IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software advisory on Cisco Security Advisories (PSIRT).

Cisco Security Advisories (PSIRT)CISA KEV entry

Common questions about CVE-2018-0159

Is CVE-2018-0159 actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2018-0159 was added to the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2022-03-03, which means exploitation in the wild has been confirmed, not predicted. Its EPSS 30-day exploitation probability is 6.9%.

What is the CISA deadline and required action for CVE-2018-0159?

CISA set the federal (BOD 22-01) remediation due date at 2022-03-17, which has passed; treat any unremediated system as overdue. The verbatim required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.

What fixes CVE-2018-0159?

The authoritative fix is in the vendor advisory: see Cisco Security Advisories (PSIRT) for the patched IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software versions and any workarounds. KEV listing makes this a fix-first item: patch it ahead of higher-CVSS issues nobody is exploiting.

Can I ask my own AI about CVE-2018-0159?

Yes. This page includes a free, ready-to-paste AI prompt containing CVE-2018-0159's key facts: severity, CVSS, EPSS, the KEV date, the CISA due date, and the required action. Copy it into Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot; the data is refreshed once a day (early morning US Central).

Scope and sources

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All Cisco exploited CVEs on one page: Cisco vulnerabilities actively exploited.
Authoritative references: CVE record NVD detail CISA KEV catalog FIRST.org EPSS

Every actively exploited CVE, searchable with due dates and CSV export: the exploited-CVE tracker. The newest additions: exploited this week.