# CVE-2017-12238: Cisco Catalyst 6800 Series Switches VPLS Denial-of-Service Vulnerability

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2017-12238-cisco-catalyst-6800-series-switches-vpls-denial-of-service  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2022-03-03. Updated: 2026-05-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2017-12238 · Severity: critical · CVSS 6.5 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2022-03-03

A memory management vulnerability in the Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) code of Cisco IOS could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to cause a denial of service. By generating a large number of VPLS MAC entries, an attacker can cause C6800-16P10G or C6800-16P10G-XL line cards to crash on Catalyst 6800 Series Switches equipped with Supervisor Engine 6T.

Vendors: [Cisco](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/cisco).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2017-12238 exploited in the wild?** Yes. CVE-2017-12238 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 3 March 2022. Treat it as urgent.

**How severe is CVE-2017-12238?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 6.5, published 3 March 2022.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Cisco IOS 15.0 through 15.4; Cisco Catalyst 6800 Series Switches; Cisco C6800-16P10G Line Card; Cisco C6800-16P10G-XL Line Card.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2017-12238?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2017-12238 attacked?** It is attacked from the adjacent network, in an operating system.

**Am I affected by CVE-2017-12238?** Check whether you run Cisco Catalyst 6800 Series Switches. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Affected products

- Cisco IOS 15.0 through 15.4
- Cisco Catalyst 6800 Series Switches
- Cisco C6800-16P10G Line Card
- Cisco C6800-16P10G-XL Line Card

## Timeline

- 2017-09-27: disclosed: Original Cisco advisory date based on URL and reference data
- 2022-03-03: kev added: Date added to CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog
- 2022-03-03: exploited: Vulnerability confirmed as exploited in the wild per CISA KEV entry