---
id: CVE-2025-20162
title: Cisco IOS XE DHCP Snooping Denial of Service Vulnerability
summary: "A vulnerability in the DHCP snooping security feature of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a full interface queue wedge, which could result in a denial of service (DoS) condition.\r\n\r\nThis vulner…"
severity: high
cvss: 8.6
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H'
cvssSource: vendor
vendor: Cisco
product: Cisco IOS XE Software
affected:
  - ios_xe_software 16.11.1
  - ios_xe_software 16.12.1
  - ios_xe_software 17.1.1
  - ios_xe_software 17.2.1
  - ios_xe_software 16.11.1a
  - ios_xe_software 17.3.1
  - ios_xe_software 16.11.2
  - ios_xe_software 16.11.1s
  - ios_xe_software 17.4.1
  - ios_xe_software 17.5.1
  - ios_xe_software 17.6.1
  - ios_xe_software 16.11.1c
  - ios_xe_software 16.12.1s
  - ios_xe_software 16.12.1a
  - ios_xe_software 16.12.1c
  - ios_xe_software 16.12.2
  - ios_xe_software 16.12.3
  - ios_xe_software 16.12.8
  - ios_xe_software 16.12.2s
  - ios_xe_software 17.1.1s
  - ios_xe_software 16.12.2t
  - ios_xe_software 17.3.2
  - ios_xe_software 16.12.4
  - ios_xe_software 17.2.1r
  - ios_xe_software 16.12.3s
  - ios_xe_software 17.1.2
  - ios_xe_software 17.1.1t
  - ios_xe_software 17.7.1
  - ios_xe_software 17.2.1v
  - ios_xe_software 17.10.1
  - ios_xe_software 17.3.3
  - ios_xe_software 17.4.2
  - ios_xe_software 17.8.1
  - ios_xe_software 17.9.1
  - ios_xe_software 17.2.2
  - ios_xe_software 17.3.1a
  - ios_xe_software 16.12.5
  - ios_xe_software 17.1.3
  - ios_xe_software 17.4.1a
  - ios_xe_software 17.4.1b
published: '2025-05-07'
updated: '2025-05-07'
sourceUpdated: '2025-05-07T16:00:00+00:00'
source: CSAF
sourceUrl: >-
  https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-iosxe-dhcpsn-dos-xBn8Mtks
references:
  - url: >-
      https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-iosxe-dhcpsn-dos-xBn8Mtks
  - url: 'https://software.cisco.com'
tags:
  - csaf
  - vendor-advisory
  - cisco
epss: 0.00541
epssPercentile: 0.44105
ingestedAt: '2026-10-15T11:50:11.866Z'
---

## Overview

A vulnerability in the DHCP snooping security feature of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a full interface queue wedge, which could result in a denial of service (DoS) condition.

This vulnerability is due to improper handling of DHCP request packets. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending DHCP request packets to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause packets to wedge in the queue, creating a DoS condition for downstream devices of the affected system and requiring that the system restart to drain the queue.

Note: This vulnerability can be exploited with either unicast or broadcast DHCP packets on a VLAN that does not have DHCP snooping enabled.

Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are workarounds that address this vulnerability.



This advisory is part of the May 2025 release of the Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software Security Advisory Bundled Publication. For a complete list of the advisories and links to them, see Cisco Event Response: May 2025 Semiannual Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software Security Advisory Bundled Publication ["https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/viewErp.x?alertId=ERP-75279"].

## Vendor advisories

- **cisco-sa-iosxe-dhcpsn-dos-xBn8Mtks** · Cisco · affected: Cisco IOS XE Software (95 versions) · updated 2025-05-07 · [advisory](https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-iosxe-dhcpsn-dos-xBn8Mtks)

**Cisco IOS XE Software DHCP Snooping Denial of Service Vulnerability**. Released 2025-05-07.

Affected:

- Cisco IOS XE Software 16.11.1
- Cisco IOS XE Software 16.12.1
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.1.1
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.2.1
- Cisco IOS XE Software 16.11.1a
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.3.1
- Cisco IOS XE Software 16.11.2
- Cisco IOS XE Software 16.11.1s
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.4.1
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.5.1
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.6.1
- Cisco IOS XE Software 16.11.1c
- Cisco IOS XE Software 16.12.1s
- Cisco IOS XE Software 16.12.1a
- Cisco IOS XE Software 16.12.1c
- Cisco IOS XE Software 16.12.2
- Cisco IOS XE Software 16.12.3
- Cisco IOS XE Software 16.12.8
- Cisco IOS XE Software 16.12.2s
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.1.1s
- Cisco IOS XE Software 16.12.2t
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.3.2
- Cisco IOS XE Software 16.12.4
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.2.1r
- Cisco IOS XE Software 16.12.3s
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.1.2
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.1.1t
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.7.1
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.2.1v
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.10.1
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.3.3
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.4.2
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.8.1
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.9.1
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.2.2
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.3.1a
- Cisco IOS XE Software 16.12.5
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.1.3
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.4.1a
- Cisco IOS XE Software 17.4.1b

## Remediation

Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. https://software.cisco.com