HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2018-5389

MEDIUM

CVE-2018-5389

CWE-521Published: September 6, 2018· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

5.9

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The Internet Key Exchange v1 main mode is vulnerable to offline dictionary or brute force attacks. Reusing a key pair across different versions and modes of IKE could lead to cross-protocol authentication bypasses. It is well known, that the aggressive mode of IKEv1 PSK is vulnerable to offline dictionary or brute force attacks. For the main mode, however, only an online attack against PSK authentication was thought to be feasible. This vulnerability could allow an attacker to recover a weak Pre-Shared Key or enable the impersonation of a victim host or network.

Technical Analysis

CVE-2018-5389 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), with a CVSS base score of 5.9.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability

Attack VectorNetwork

Attack ComplexityHigh

Privileges Req.None

User InteractionNone

ScopeUnchanged

Impact

ConfidentialityHigh

IntegrityNone

AvailabilityNone

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Affected Vendors & Products

ietf1 product(s)

internet key exchange

Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time

Offensive Security exploit database

GitHub PoC Search

Community PoC repositories

Rapid7 / Metasploit

Metasploit module search

Security advisories & exploits

Official NIST entry

CVE Program entry

External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttps://blogs.cisco.com/security/great-cipher-but-where-did-you-get-that-key

ADVISORYhttps://web-in-security.blogspot.com/2018/08/practical-dictionary-attack-on-ipsec-ike.html

ADVISORYhttps://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/857035

ADVISORYhttps://www.usenix.org/system/files/conference/usenixsecurity18/sec18-felsch.pdf

ADVISORYhttps://blogs.cisco.com/security/great-cipher-but-where-did-you-get-that-key

ADVISORYhttps://web-in-security.blogspot.com/2018/08/practical-dictionary-attack-on-ipsec-ike.html

ADVISORYhttps://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/857035

ADVISORYhttps://www.usenix.org/system/files/conference/usenixsecurity18/sec18-felsch.pdf

All References (10)

→

https://blogs.cisco.com/security/great-cipher-but-where-did-you-get-that-keyThird Party Advisory

→

https://my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K42378447

→

https://web-in-security.blogspot.com/2018/08/practical-dictionary-attack-on-ipsec-ike.htmlExploit · Third Party Advisory

→

https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/857035Third Party Advisory · US Government Resource

→

https://www.usenix.org/system/files/conference/usenixsecurity18/sec18-felsch.pdfThird Party Advisory

→

https://blogs.cisco.com/security/great-cipher-but-where-did-you-get-that-keyThird Party Advisory

→

https://my.f5.com/manage/s/article/K42378447

→

https://web-in-security.blogspot.com/2018/08/practical-dictionary-attack-on-ipsec-ike.htmlExploit · Third Party Advisory

→

https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/857035Third Party Advisory · US Government Resource

→

https://www.usenix.org/system/files/conference/usenixsecurity18/sec18-felsch.pdfThird Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2018-5389

CVSS Score5.9 / 10

SeverityMEDIUM

WeaknessCWE-521

CISA KEVNo

Affected1 vendor(s)

PublishedSep 6, 2018

Related CVEs (CWE-521)

Recommended Actions

→Apply vendor patches immediately
→Monitor CVE-2018-5389 in threat intel feeds
→Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts

Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.

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