CVE-2018-7445
MikroTik RouterOS · Switches, routers and SD-WAN
MikroTik RouterOS Stack-Based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
At a glance
Exploited. Added to CISA’s catalog of exploited vulnerabilities on September 8, 2022.
Affected product: MikroTik RouterOS (category Switches, routers and SD-WAN, indicative classification). Name in CISA’s catalog: MikroTik RouterOS.
What should I do?
Apply the security update from MikroTik.
Deadline set by CISA for US federal agencies: 21 days (due September 29, 2022). It only binds those agencies, but it is a useful measure of urgency.
- MikroTik security advisories page (general page, not the advisory for this vulnerability)
- The vendor’s specific advisory is listed in the NVD references: CVE-2018-7445 on the NVD website.
Original text of the required action (CISA)
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Timeline
- Vulnerability published Publication date (NVD)
- Exploitation confirmed Added to CISA’s KEV catalog
- CISA deadline Remediation deadline set for US federal agencies
The facts, with their sources
- Exploitation confirmed
- Yes, on September 8, 2022 Date added to the catalog of exploited vulnerabilities. Exploitation itself may have started earlier. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Ransomware
- No known use to date That does not guarantee it is not being used: the information is not public. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Hunt for compromise
- Not requested by CISA Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- CISA required action
- Apply the security update from MikroTik. Rewritten by this site from CISA’s original text. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- CISA deadline
- September 29, 2022, 21 days Set for US federal agencies: a measure of urgency, not an obligation elsewhere. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Vulnerability published
- March 19, 2018 Source: National Vulnerability Database (NVD), collected September 29, 2026 at 15:00 UTC
- Product according to CISA
- MikroTik RouterOS Filed by this site under “Switches, routers and SD-WAN” (indicative classification). Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- CVSS vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Technical detail of the score: attack vector, complexity, impact. Source: National Vulnerability Database (NVD), collected September 29, 2026 at 15:00 UTC
Severity and activity
FIRST’s EPSS model. Since exploitation is already confirmed, this figure is mostly useful to compare activity. Collected Sep 29, 2026.
Description
A buffer overflow was found in the MikroTik RouterOS SMB service when processing NetBIOS session request messages. Remote attackers with access to the service can exploit this vulnerability and gain code execution on the system. The overflow occurs before authentication takes place, so it is possible for an unauthenticated remote attacker to exploit it. All architectures and all devices running RouterOS before versions 6.41.3/6.42rc27 are vulnerable.
Official description from the NVD, collected Sep 29, 2026. CVE® description © The MITRE Corporation.
In MikroTik RouterOS, a stack-based buffer overflow occurs when processing NetBIOS session request messages. Remote attackers with access to the service can exploit this vulnerability and gain code execution on the system.
Summary from CISA (KEV catalog).
CERT-FR advisories
No advisory among the latest CERT-FR publications this site follows. That does not mean there are none.
Information reused under the Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab); the date of last update is shown for each advisory. This site is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by ANSSI.
Sources for this page
- CISA KEV catalog: exploitation, date added, required action, deadline, ransomware.
- NVD (NIST): CVSS severity, publication date, description, vendor references.
- EPSS (FIRST): probability of exploitation.
- CERT-FR: advisories and alerts (in French).
- Brand and category: indicative classification by this site (method).