📄 Description (English)
Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software Improper Input Validation Vulnerability — A vulnerability in the DHCP option 82 encapsulation functionality of Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow for denial-of-service (DoS).
🤖 AI Executive Summary
CVE-2018-0172 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.0) in Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software's DHCP option 82 encapsulation functionality that allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition through improper input validation. A public exploit is available, significantly increasing the risk of active exploitation. The vulnerability affects core network infrastructure devices running Cisco IOS/IOS XE, which are widely deployed across Saudi Arabian enterprises and government networks. Immediate patching is strongly recommended as exploitation could disrupt critical network services.
📄 Description (Arabic)
🤖 AI Intelligence Analysis Analyzed: Apr 9, 2026 15:11
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Impact Assessment
This vulnerability poses significant risk to Saudi organizations given the widespread deployment of Cisco networking equipment across all major sectors. Banking institutions regulated by SAMA rely heavily on Cisco infrastructure for core banking networks. Government entities under NCA oversight, including ministries and public services, use Cisco routers and switches extensively. Energy sector organizations including Saudi Aramco and utility companies depend on Cisco infrastructure for operational and IT networks. Telecom providers such as STC, Mobily, and Zain use Cisco equipment in their backbone infrastructure. Healthcare facilities and educational institutions are also at risk. A successful DoS attack could disrupt DHCP services causing widespread network outages affecting business continuity across these critical sectors.
🏢 Affected Saudi Sectors
Banking
Government
Energy
Telecommunications
Healthcare
Education
Retail
Transportation
⚖️ Saudi Risk Score (AI)
8.5
/ 10.0
🔧 Remediation Steps (English)
Immediate Actions:
1. Identify all Cisco IOS and IOS XE devices in your environment that process DHCP option 82 traffic
2. Apply Cisco's security patches immediately — refer to Cisco Security Advisory cisco-sa-20180328-dhcpr1
3. If immediate patching is not possible, disable DHCP option 82 (ip dhcp relay information option) on affected devices where not required
Compensating Controls:
4. Implement access control lists (ACLs) to restrict DHCP traffic to trusted sources only
5. Deploy network segmentation to limit the blast radius of potential exploitation
6. Enable Control Plane Policing (CoPP) to rate-limit DHCP packets reaching the router's control plane
7. Monitor for abnormal DHCP traffic patterns using IDS/IPS signatures
Detection Rules:
8. Configure SNMP traps and syslog alerts for unexpected device reloads
9. Deploy Snort/Suricata rules to detect malformed DHCP option 82 packets
10. Monitor for CVE-2018-0172 specific exploit signatures in network traffic
🔧 خطوات المعالجة (العربية)
الإجراءات الفورية:
1. تحديد جميع أجهزة Cisco IOS و IOS XE في بيئتك التي تعالج حركة مرور DHCP option 82
2. تطبيق تصحيحات Cisco الأمنية فوراً — الرجوع إلى تحذير Cisco الأمني cisco-sa-20180328-dhcpr1
3. إذا لم يكن التصحيح الفوري ممكناً، قم بتعطيل DHCP option 82 (ip dhcp relay information option) على الأجهزة المتأثرة حيث لا تكون مطلوبة
الضوابط التعويضية:
4. تنفيذ قوائم التحكم في الوصول (ACLs) لتقييد حركة مرور DHCP على المصادر الموثوقة فقط
5. نشر تجزئة الشبكة للحد من نطاق الاستغلال المحتمل
6. تمكين سياسة مستوى التحكم (CoPP) للحد من معدل حزم DHCP التي تصل إلى مستوى التحكم في الموجه
7. مراقبة أنماط حركة مرور DHCP غير الطبيعية باستخدام توقيعات IDS/IPS
قواعد الكشف:
8. تكوين تنبيهات SNMP و syslog لإعادة تشغيل الأجهزة غير المتوقعة
9. نشر قواعد Snort/Suricata للكشف عن حزم DHCP option 82 المشوهة
10. مراقبة توقيعات الاستغلال الخاصة بـ CVE-2018-0172 في حركة مرور الشبكة
📋 Regulatory Compliance Mapping
🟢 NCA ECC 2024
ECC-2:3-1 (Network Security)
ECC-2:3-3 (Patch Management)
ECC-2:5-1 (Vulnerability Management)
ECC-2:4-2 (Incident Management)
🔵 SAMA CSF
3.3.3 (Network Security Management)
3.3.4 (Patch Management)
3.3.7 (Vulnerability Management)
3.4.1 (Incident Response)
🟡 ISO 27001:2022
A.8.8 (Management of technical vulnerabilities)
A.8.20 (Networks security)
A.8.21 (Security of network services)
A.8.9 (Configuration management)
🟣 PCI DSS v4.0
PCI DSS 6.3.3 (Patching security vulnerabilities)
PCI DSS 11.3 (Vulnerability scanning)
PCI DSS 1.2 (Network security controls)
🔗 References & Sources 0
No references.
📦 Affected Products / CPE 1 entries
Cisco:IOS and IOS XE Software