A malformed Secure Copy Protocol request can trigger a device reload on Cisco IOS XE systems. The weakness originates from improper input handling during SCP sessions, allowing an attacker with a low‑privilege local account to trigger a denial of service. Successful exploitation results in an unexpected reboot, bringing the device offline until it recovers, which can disrupt network services and operations.

The affected product is Cisco IOS XE Software. No specific affected version range is listed in the advisory, so any device running IOS XE with the SCP server feature enabled may be vulnerable. The defect applies to authenticated local users possessing SSH access to the device.

The CVSS base score of 6.5 indicates a moderate severity, reflecting the local nature of the required access. EPSS data is not provided, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog, suggesting no known public exploitation. The attack vector is inferred to be a local SSH session where the attacker issues a crafted SCP command. Because the flaw arises from malformed input, exploitation does not require privileged or root access, only an available local account, making it an attractive target for attackers already inside the network.