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CVE-2017-3873

A vulnerability in the Plug-and-Play (PnP) subsystem of the Cisco Aironet 1800, 2800, and 3800...

7.5 High

A vulnerability in the Plug-and-Play (PnP) subsystem of the Cisco Aironet 1800, 2800, and 3800 Series Access Points running a Lightweight Access Point (AP) or Mobility Express image could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of PnP server responses. The PnP feature is only active while the device does not contain a configuration, such as a first time boot or after a factory reset has been issued. An attacker with the ability to respond to PnP configuration requests from the affected device can exploit the vulnerability by returning malicious PnP responses. If a Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller - Enterprise Module (APIC-EM) is available on the network, the attacker would need to exploit the issue in the short window before a valid PnP response was received. If successful, the attacker could gain the ability to execute arbitrary code with root privileges on the underlying operating system of the device. Cisco has confirmed that the only vulnerable software version is 8.3.102.0. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvb42386.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Adjacent network
Complexity
High
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Exploit likelihood

0.74%Down 0.7 points since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 7.5

A vulnerability in the Plug-and-Play (PnP) subsystem of the Cisco Aironet 1800, 2800, and 3800 Series Access Points running a Lightweight Access Point (AP) or Mobility Express image could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of PnP server responses. The PnP feature is only active while the device does not contain a configuration, such as a first time boot or after a factory reset has been issued. An attacker with the ability to respond to PnP configuration requests from the affected device can exploit the vulnerability by returning malicious PnP responses. If a Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller - Enterprise Module (APIC-EM) is available on the network, the attacker would need to exploit the issue in the short window before a valid PnP response was received. If successful, the attacker could gain the ability to execute arbitrary code with root privileges on the underlying operating system of the device. Cisco has confirmed that the only vulnerable software version is 8.3.102.0. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvb42386.

Record
CVE-2017-3873
CVSS 3.0
7.5 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 2.0
7.9 HighAV:A/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Weakness
CWE-20
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

A vulnerability in the Plug-and-Play (PnP) subsystem of the Cisco Aironet 1800, 2800, and 3800 Series Access Points running a Lightweight Access Point (AP) or Mobility Express image could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of PnP server responses. The PnP feature is only active while the device does not contain a configuration, such as a first time boot or after a factory reset has been issued. An attacker with the ability to respond to PnP configuration requests from the affected device can exploit the vulnerability by returning malicious PnP responses. If a Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller - Enterprise Module (APIC-EM) is available on the network, the attacker would need to exploit the issue in the short window before a valid PnP response was received. If successful, the attacker could gain the ability to execute arbitrary code with root privileges on the underlying operating system of the device. Cisco has confirmed that the only vulnerable software version is 8.3.102.0. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvb42386.

Record
CVE-2017-3873
Weakness
CWE-20
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2017-12990 No score

A vulnerability in the Plug-and-Play (PnP) subsystem of the Cisco Aironet 1800, 2800, and 3800 Series Access Points running a Lightweight Access Point (AP) or Mobility Express image could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of PnP server responses. The PnP feature is only active while the device does not contain a configuration, such as a first time boot or after a factory reset has been issued. An attacker with the ability to respond to PnP configuration requests from the affected device can exploit the vulnerability by returning malicious PnP responses. If a Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller - Enterprise Module (APIC-EM) is available on the network, the attacker would need to exploit the issue in the short window before a valid PnP response was received. If successful, the attacker could gain the ability to execute arbitrary code with root privileges on the underlying operating system of the device. Cisco has confirmed that the only vulnerable software version is 8.3.102.0. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvb42386.

Record
EUVD-2017-12990
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-28h8-6qf2-j7rh 7.5

A vulnerability in the Plug-and-Play (PnP) subsystem of the Cisco Aironet 1800, 2800, and 3800...

A vulnerability in the Plug-and-Play (PnP) subsystem of the Cisco Aironet 1800, 2800, and 3800 Series Access Points running a Lightweight Access Point (AP) or Mobility Express image could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of PnP server responses. The PnP feature is only active while the device does not contain a configuration, such as a first time boot or after a factory reset has been issued. An attacker with the ability to respond to PnP configuration requests from the affected device can exploit the vulnerability by returning malicious PnP responses. If a Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller - Enterprise Module (APIC-EM) is available on the network, the attacker would need to exploit the issue in the short window before a valid PnP response was received. If successful, the attacker could gain the ability to execute arbitrary code with root privileges on the underlying operating system of the device. Cisco has confirmed that the only vulnerable software version is 8.3.102.0. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvb42386.

Record
GHSA-28h8-6qf2-j7rh
CVSS 3.0
7.5 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-20
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2017-3873 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) in Cisco Aironet Access Point Firmware, published May 16, 2017. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.74%, the 54th percentile. No source names a fixed version.

References

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