CVE-2017-6663 Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software Denial-of-Service Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the Autonomic Networking feature of Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to cause autonomic nodes of an affected system to reload, resulting in denial-of-service (DoS).
From the CISA KEV catalogue version 2026.11.06, with Cybergen analysis. Updated 6 Nov 2026.
Should You Worry?
- CISA confirmed exploitation in the wild and added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 3 Mar 2022.
- Rated Medium severity (CVSS 6.5, scored by CISA).
- It has been in the catalogue for 1,709 days. Systems still unpatched now have almost certainly been scanned for it.
What It Is
A vulnerability in the Autonomic Networking feature of Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to cause autonomic nodes of an affected system to reload, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. More Information: CSCvd88936. Known Affected Releases: Denali-16.2.1 Denali-16.3.1.
Affected Versions
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
| Cisco IOS and IOS XE | Cisco IOS and IOS XE |
From the public CVE record, as supplied by the vendor. Always confirm against the vendor advisory.
What To Do Now
- 1
Find it
Search your asset inventory and external attack surface for Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software. Include cloud images, appliances and anything a supplier runs for you.
Attack Surface Management - 2
- 3
Hunt for compromise
If an affected system was reachable before you patched, assume it may have been hit. Check logs, new accounts, web shells and outbound connections from the date of exposure.
Incident Response - 4
Prove it is fixed
Rescan or test the system after patching. Upgrades that fail silently and forgotten secondary instances are common.
Penetration Testing
Vendor Advisories
The Compliance Clock
General guidance, not legal advice. Your obligations depend on your sector, scope and jurisdiction.
Not Sure If You Are Exposed?
Our attack surface and vulnerability teams can check your internet-facing estate for CVE-2017-6663 and every other exploited flaw on the list.