{"id":"CVE-2017-12238","aliases":["EUVD-2017-3811","GHSA-g8w4-jc9x-6qpc"],"status":"published","title":"A vulnerability in the Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) code of Cisco IOS 15.0 through 15.4 for...","description":"A vulnerability in the Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) code of Cisco IOS 15.0 through 15.4 for Cisco Catalyst 6800 Series Switches could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to cause a C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL type line card to crash, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability is due to a memory management issue in the affected software. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by creating a large number of VPLS-generated MAC entries in the MAC address table of an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause a C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL type line card to crash, resulting in a DoS condition. This vulnerability affects Cisco Catalyst 6800 Series Switches that are running a vulnerable release of Cisco IOS Software and have a Cisco C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL line card in use with Supervisor Engine 6T. To be vulnerable, the device must also be configured with VPLS and the C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL line card needs to be the core-facing MPLS interfaces. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCva61927.","severity":{"version":"3.1","score":6.5,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H","level":"medium","assessor":"primary","from":"nvd"},"epss":{"day":"2026-11-08","score":0.02017,"percentile":0.81056,"model":"v2026.06.15"},"facts":{"in_kev":true,"known_exploited":true,"public_exploit":false,"fix_available":false},"cwes":["CWE-399"],"published":"2017-09-28T07:00:00Z","modified":"2026-06-17T01:02:56Z","kev":{"date_added":"2022-03-03","due_date":"2022-03-24","required_action":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","known_ransomware_use":"Unknown"},"exploitation":[{"source":"euvd","since":"2022-03-03"},{"source":"kev","since":"2022-03-03"}],"products":[{"vendor":"cisco","product":"catalyst 6800 series switches"},{"vendor":"cisco","product":"ios"}],"references":[{"url":"http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1039453","tags":["vdb-entry","x_refsource_SECTRACK","x_transferred","Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/101040","tags":["vdb-entry","x_refsource_BID","x_transferred","Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20170927-vpls","tags":["x_refsource_CONFIRM","x_transferred","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2017-12238","tags":["government-resource","US Government Resource"]},{"url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-12238"},{"url":"https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-g8w4-jc9x-6qpc"}],"sources":{"cve":[{"id":"CVE-2017-12238","description":"A vulnerability in the Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) code of Cisco IOS 15.0 through 15.4 for Cisco Catalyst 6800 Series Switches could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to cause a C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL type line card to crash, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability is due to a memory management issue in the affected software. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by creating a large number of VPLS-generated MAC entries in the MAC address table of an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause a C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL type line card to crash, resulting in a DoS condition. This vulnerability affects Cisco Catalyst 6800 Series Switches that are running a vulnerable release of Cisco IOS Software and have a Cisco C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL line card in use with Supervisor Engine 6T. To be vulnerable, the device must also be configured with VPLS and the C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL line card needs to be the core-facing MPLS interfaces. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCva61927.","status":"published","published":"2017-09-28T07:00:00Z","modified":"2026-01-12T21:46:19.716Z","cvss":[{"version":"3.1","score":6.5,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H","level":"medium","assessor":"adp"}],"cwes":["CWE-399"],"updated_at":"2026-11-02T14:33:17.264801Z"}],"euvd":[{"id":"EUVD-2017-3811","description":"A vulnerability in the Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) code of Cisco IOS 15.0 through 15.4 for Cisco Catalyst 6800 Series Switches could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to cause a C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL type line card to crash, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability is due to a memory management issue in the affected software. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by creating a large number of VPLS-generated MAC entries in the MAC address table of an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause a C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL type line card to crash, resulting in a DoS condition. This vulnerability affects Cisco Catalyst 6800 Series Switches that are running a vulnerable release of Cisco IOS Software and have a Cisco C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL line card in use with Supervisor Engine 6T. To be vulnerable, the device must also be configured with VPLS and the C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL line card needs to be the core-facing MPLS interfaces. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCva61927.","status":"published","published":"2017-09-28T07:00:00Z","modified":"2026-01-12T21:46:19Z","cvss":[{"version":"3.1","score":6.5,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H","level":"medium"}],"exploited_since":"2022-03-03","updated_at":"2026-11-02T19:48:52.739812Z"}],"ghsa":[{"id":"GHSA-g8w4-jc9x-6qpc","title":"A vulnerability in the Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) code of Cisco IOS 15.0 through 15.4 for...","description":"A vulnerability in the Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) code of Cisco IOS 15.0 through 15.4 for Cisco Catalyst 6800 Series Switches could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to cause a C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL type line card to crash, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability is due to a memory management issue in the affected software. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by creating a large number of VPLS-generated MAC entries in the MAC address table of an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause a C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL type line card to crash, resulting in a DoS condition. This vulnerability affects Cisco Catalyst 6800 Series Switches that are running a vulnerable release of Cisco IOS Software and have a Cisco C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL line card in use with Supervisor Engine 6T. To be vulnerable, the device must also be configured with VPLS and the C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL line card needs to be the core-facing MPLS interfaces. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCva61927.","status":"published","published":"2022-05-13T01:38:04Z","modified":"2025-10-22T00:31:28Z","cvss":[{"version":"3.0","score":6.5,"vector":"CVSS:3.0/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H","level":"medium"}],"updated_at":"2026-11-02T15:04:03.556367Z"}],"kev":[{"id":"CVE-2017-12238","title":"Cisco Catalyst 6800 Series Switches VPLS Denial-of-Service Vulnerability","description":"A vulnerability in the Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) code of Cisco IOS for Cisco Catalyst 6800 Series Switches could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to cause a denial of service.","cwes":["CWE-399"],"kev":{"date_added":"2022-03-03","due_date":"2022-03-24","required_action":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","known_ransomware_use":"Unknown"},"updated_at":"2026-11-02T17:00:16.541131Z"}],"nvd":[{"id":"CVE-2017-12238","description":"A vulnerability in the Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) code of Cisco IOS 15.0 through 15.4 for Cisco Catalyst 6800 Series Switches could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to cause a C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL type line card to crash, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability is due to a memory management issue in the affected software. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by creating a large number of VPLS-generated MAC entries in the MAC address table of an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause a C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL type line card to crash, resulting in a DoS condition. This vulnerability affects Cisco Catalyst 6800 Series Switches that are running a vulnerable release of Cisco IOS Software and have a Cisco C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL line card in use with Supervisor Engine 6T. To be vulnerable, the device must also be configured with VPLS and the C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL line card needs to be the core-facing MPLS interfaces. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCva61927.","status":"published","published":"2017-09-29T01:34:48.997Z","modified":"2026-06-17T01:02:56.937Z","cvss":[{"version":"3.1","score":6.5,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H","level":"medium","assessor":"primary"},{"version":"3.1","score":6.5,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H","level":"medium","assessor":"secondary"},{"version":"2.0","score":3.3,"vector":"AV:A/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P","level":"low","assessor":"primary"}],"cwes":["CWE-399"],"updated_at":"2026-11-02T14:04:01.734197Z"}]}}