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IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software
PRODUCT· dossier confidence 85%
Cisco is a public networking and security software vendor with a documented history of high-severity, actively exploited vulnerabilities in core protocols like DHCP and BGP that were not patched in a timely manner. The IOS and IOS XE operating systems have a track record of delayed patching and insufficient input validation, leading to service disruption and denial-of-service attacks.
PROFILE
CategoryNetworking & Security SoftwareWhat they doCisco develops and sells networking hardware and software, including the IOS and IOS XE operating systems for routers and switches.Founded1984HQSan Jose, CASize10,001+Ownershippublic
Websitehttps://www.cisco.com ↗
SECURITY POSTURE
The software has a documented history of high-severity vulnerabilities that were actively exploited before patches were applied, indicating a track record of delayed patching and insufficient input validation in core protocols.
Notable failures
- CVE-2018-0159: IKEv1 DoS forcing device reload
- CVE-2018-0156: Smart Install DoS forcing device reload
- CVE-2018-0158: IKEv1 memory leak causing device reboots
Patterns: repeated unpatched edge-device RCEs; delayed patching of core protocol vulnerabilities; insufficient input validation in core protocols
FAILURE HISTORY · 3
| DATE | EVENT | SEV | SUMMARY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-03-03 | CVE-2018-0159 | high | An unauthenticated remote attacker could force a Cisco IOS/XE device to reload via an IKEv1 DoS vulnerability, causing service disruption. |
| 2022-03-03 | CVE-2018-0156 | high | An unauthenticated remote attacker could force a Cisco IOS device to reload, causing a denial-of-service via the Smart Install feature. |
| 2022-03-03 | CVE-2018-0158 | high | A memory leak in Cisco IOS and XE IKEv1 allowed remote attackers to cause device reboots, resulting in denial-of-service. |
DOSSIER SOURCES
- Cisco | Competitive Intelligence Profile · rivalsense.co
- Cisco History: Len Bosack, Sandy Lerner & The Router · corpdigest.com
- CISCO SYSTEMS, INC. (CSCO, US17275R1023) - Company Profile · financialdata.net
- Cisco IOS XE end-of-life dates & support status (2026) | IsItPatched · isitpatched.com
- How to patch Cisco IOS & IOS XE - isitpatched.com · www.isitpatched.com
- IOS: Releases, patches & end-of-life - versio.io · www.versio.io
Open questions: Current patching SLA for IOS XE Software · Recent vulnerability disclosure timeline for 2024-2026
DOSSIER · dex-RAG synthesis · grounded in our own collection + trusted sourcesbuilt 2026-09-17 04:50:13.941659+00:00