CVE-2017-6678: A vulnerability in the ingress UDP packet processing functionality of Cisco Virtualized Packet Core-Distributed Instance (VPC-DI) Software 19.2 through 21.0 cou

A vulnerability in the ingress UDP packet processing functionality of Cisco Virtualized Packet Core-Distributed Instance (VPC-DI) Software 19.2 through 21.0 cou

A vulnerability in the ingress UDP packet processing functionality of Cisco Virtualized Packet Core-Distributed Instance (VPC-DI) Software 19.2 through 21.0 could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause both control function (CF) instances on an affected system to reload, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability is due to insufficient handling of user-supplied data by the affected software. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted UDP packets to the distributed instance (DI) network addresses of both CF instances on an affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause an unhandled error condition on the affected system, which would cause the CF instances to reload and consequently cause the entire VPC to reload, resulting in the disconnection of all subscribers and a DoS condition on the affected system. This vulnerability can be exploited via IPv4 traffic only. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvc01665 CSCvc35565.

Description from the National Vulnerability Database, published by psirt@cisco.com

What it means for a small business

Virtualized Packet Core is network equipment or remote-access software: the box between your office and the internet. These are a favorite target because breaking one opens the whole office.

If an IT provider set it up, ask them to confirm the firmware version and the date it was updated. If nobody looks after it, that's the bigger problem.

How likely is an attack? The Exploit Prediction Scoring System, run by FIRST (the global association of security response teams), puts the odds of this one being exploited in the next 30 days at 1.7%, higher than 77% of CVEs. That’s above average: worth scheduling this week. Scored October 29, 2026, updated daily.

Check your own setup

Website check: reads what your site runs from the outside (WordPress version, plugins it can see, old server software) and matches it against this database.
Server check: what your web server says about itself, and whether that version has known flaws.

Sources

Part of the Huttenlocher Technologies vulnerability database, refreshed twice a day from CISA and the NVD. The title, category and plain-language guidance are ours; check the linked record before acting on a detail. This is general guidance, not a review of your systems.

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