Vulnerability Snapshot
CVE-2018-0101 is rated CRITICAL — exploitation is trivial or already observed in the wild and impact is severe. Patch immediately, not on the next maintenance window.
Affected technology: adaptive_security_appliance_software, secure_firewall_threat_defense.
Executive Summary
A vulnerability in the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) VPN functionality of the Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a reload of the affected system or to remotely execute code. The vulnerability is due to an attempt to double free a region of memory when the webvpn feature is enabled on the Cisco ASA device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending multiple, crafted XML packets to a webvpn-configured interface on the affected system. An exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code and obtain full control of the system, or cause a reload of the affected device. This vulnerability affects Cisco ASA Software that is running on the following Cisco products: 3000 Series Industrial Security Appliance (ISA), ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliances, ASA 5500-X Series Next-Generation Firewalls, ASA Services Module for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switches and Cisco 7600 Series Routers, ASA 1000V Clo
Why It Matters
CVE-2018-0101 is rated CRITICAL severity, requiring immediate attention from security teams.
CVSS Base Score: 10/10
Affected Technologies
Vendors: cisco
Products: adaptive_security_appliance_software, secure_firewall_threat_defense
🛡️What Defenders Should Check
Use Vulnios to continuously monitor your exposure to CVE-2018-0101 and similar vulnerabilities.
References & Sources
How Vulnios Detects This
Vulnios scans for this vulnerability using Trivy and Grype for SBOM-based CVE matching and Vulnios CVE feed continuous monitoring against your asset inventory. Run a scan against your environment to see whether you are exposed; findings are linked back to the original CVE record so triage starts with the patch path already known.
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Affected Products
Sources
Related Threat Alerts
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2024-20412 — cisco — secure_firewall_threat_defense, firepower_1000
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2025-20363 — cisco — ios_xr, asr_9001
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2020-3187 — cisco — secure_firewall_threat_defense, asa_5505_firmware
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2016-9223 — cisco — cloudcenter_orchestrator
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2016-6441 — cisco — ios_xe
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2016-6452 — cisco — prime_home
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2018-0101?
CVE-2018-0101 is a critical-severity vulnerability tracked under the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures program. A vulnerability in the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) VPN functionality of the Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a reload of the aff
Am I affected?
Check whether your environment runs adaptive_security_appliance_software, secure_firewall_threat_defense. If you operate any of those, treat yourself as in scope until you have evidence otherwise. A Vulnios scan will identify the exact assets carrying the affected version.
How urgent is the response?
Critical: do not wait for your normal patch cycle. Verify exposure today, apply the vendor patch immediately, and add detection rules for any post-exploit indicators.
How do I remediate?
Apply the vendor patch listed in the upstream advisory linked under Sources. If the patch is not yet available, follow the vendor-supplied workaround (often a config flag or feature disable) and add detections for the published exploit pattern in your SIEM. Re-scan after the patch lands to confirm the finding clears.
Where can I track exploitation activity?
Watch CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog for CVE-2018-0101. Cross-reference with public exploit databases and your own SIEM/IDS for indicator-of-compromise patterns. Vulnios tracks KEV status automatically and surfaces it on the asset findings view.
How does Vulnios help with this?
Vulnios continuously cross-references your asset inventory against the live CVE feed (NVD, vendor advisories, CISA KEV, and curated OSINT). When a new CVE matches your environment, you get a prioritized finding with the severity, KEV status, exploit-prediction (EPSS), and a direct path to the vendor patch. You can start a free scan from the homepage.
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