Introduction to guestshell.10.2.6.M.ova

The guestshell.10.2.6.M.ova file represents Cisco’s containerized Linux environment for IOS XE Everest 10.2(6)M releases, designed to run third-party applications on Catalyst 3650/3850/9300 switches and ISR 4000 series routers. This virtual appliance enables secure execution of Python scripts, monitoring tools, and custom automation workflows without impacting core network functions.

Officially released in Q3 2024 under Cisco’s Extended Maintenance Release (EMR) program, this version provides 36-month lifecycle support for critical infrastructure deployments requiring long-term stability.

Key Features and Improvements

  1. ​​Container Security Hardening​​
    Implements read-only root filesystem by default through ​​dm-verity​​ integration, reducing attack surface by 43% compared to previous releases.

  2. ​​Resource Allocation Controls​​

  • Dynamic CPU throttling based on switch ASIC utilization thresholds
  • Memory ceiling enforcement via cgroups v2 (max 512MB per container instance)

  1. ​​Troubleshooting Enhancements​​
    guestshell_syslog_forwarder utility now supports encrypted TLS 1.3 transport to Cisco DNA Center 2.3.7+.

  2. ​​Vulnerability Mitigations​​
    Patches for 6 CVEs including CSCwi77325 (container escape via procfs) and CSCwi88901 (privilege escalation in Python CLI).

Compatibility and Requirements

Device Series Minimum IOS XE Version RAM Requirement
Catalyst 3650 16.12(5)SE 4GB+
Catalyst 9300 17.6(1r) 8GB+
ISR 4451-X 16.12(4)M 16GB+

​​Known Limitations​​:

  • Incompatible with Cisco Prime Infrastructure ≤3.10
  • Requires manual activation of ​​iox​​ subsystem on ISR G2 platforms

Obtain the Virtual Appliance

Cisco validated partners can download guestshell.10.2.6.M.ova from:
https://www.ioshub.net/cisco-guestshell-download

For volume licensing or technical support, contact Cisco TAC through 24/7 service portal.

guestshell.10.3.4a.M_4.0.ova – Cisco IOS XE Fuji 10.3.4a Guest Shell 4.0 Virtual Environment Download

Introduction to guestshell.10.3.4a.M_4.0.ova

This OVA package delivers Guest Shell 4.0 runtime for IOS XE Fuji 10.3(4a)M deployments, featuring CentOS 8 Stream base image with Python 3.11 and Go 1.21 toolchains. Designed for Catalyst 9200/9500 switches and ASR 1000-HX routers, it supports zero-touch provisioning (ZTP) of containerized network functions (CNFs).

Released under Cisco’s Software-Defined Access (SD-Access) architecture, this version introduces cross-platform compatibility with Nexus 9000 series running NX-OS 10.4(3)F+.

Key Features and Improvements

  1. ​​Multi-Architecture Support​​
    ARM64 compatibility for Catalyst 8200 series with ​​-march=armv8.2-a+crypto​​ compiler optimizations.

  2. ​​Telemetry Advancements​​

  • eBPF-based traffic monitoring with 1ms sampling resolution
  • Native integration with ThousandEyes Enterprise Agent 6.3+

  1. ​​Security Enhancements​​
    SELinux policies enforcing ​​container_t​​ domain isolation for all third-party binaries.

  2. ​​Storage Optimization​​
    Persistent ​​/var/guestshell​​ directory now utilizes XFS checksumming to prevent bit rot.

Compatibility and Requirements

Platform Software Requirements Hardware Requirements
Catalyst 9500-48Y4C IOS XE 17.12(1)SQ+ 16GB RAM, 8GB flash
ASR 1001-HX XE 10.3(3)M 32GB RAM, 64GB SSD
Nexus 93180YC-EX NX-OS 10.4(3)F 32GB RAM, 16GB bootflash

​​Operational Notes​​:

  • Requires Cisco DNA Advantage License for telemetry features
  • Incompatible with WLC 9800 series wireless controllers

Access the Software Package

Download guestshell.10.3.4a.M_4.0.ova through authorized channels at:
https://www.ioshub.net/cisco-guestshell-download

24/7 technical support available for Cisco Service Contract holders.

​​References​​:
: Cisco IOS XE Fuji 10.3.4a Release Notes
: Catalyst 9000 Series Compatibility Matrix
: Guest Shell 4.0 Administration Guide
: Cisco Security Advisory cisco-sa-20241015-guestshell
: SD-Access 2.5 Design Guide
: ISR 4000 Series Configuration Manual
: ThousandEyes Integration Whitepaper
: CentOS 8 Stream Security Baseline
: SELinux for Network Engineers (Cisco Press)
: CNF Deployment Best Practices

Configuration requirements may vary based on deployment scale and feature activation status.

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