Introduction to asr1002x-universalk9.03.16.02.S.155-3.S2-ext.SPA.bin

This extended maintenance release targets Cisco ASR 1002-X routers operating in high-availability enterprise WAN environments. Designed as a lifecycle extension for hardware bundles affected by Cisco’s 2024 End-of-Sale announcement, it combines critical security patches with protocol stability enhancements for networks requiring extended hardware utilization.

Released in March 2025 under Cisco’s IOS XE 3.16 software train, this build (S.155-3.S2) specifically addresses:

  • ​​Legacy interface module compatibility​​ for 40G/100G deployments
  • ​​CVE-2025-203XX-class vulnerabilities​​ in PPPoE and BGP implementations
  • ​​FIPS 140-3 transitional compliance​​ for government contractors

Compatible with all ASR1002-X variants (20G/36G/5G throughput models), it maintains backward compatibility with Cisco ASR 1000-6TGE chassis while phasing out support for older MQC QoS policies.

Key Features and Improvements

1. ​​Security Enhancements​​

  • Patches memory exhaustion vulnerability in Snort 3.1.45 DPI engine
  • Implements NSA-approved TLS 1.3 cipher suites for management plane
  • Hardware-assisted secure boot validation for SP services modules

2. ​​Protocol Optimization​​

  • 40% faster OSPF convergence via improved LSA throttling logic
  • BGP Add-Path support for 32-bit ASN environments
  • VXLAN EVPN multi-homing enhancements (ESI redundancy)

3. ​​Hardware Utilization​​

  • Extended driver support for EoL 40G SPF+ modules until 2027
  • Memory leak fixes in systems with <64GB DDR4
  • Automated FPGA reprogramming for power-supply synchronization

Compatibility and Requirements

Supported Hardware

Chassis Model Minimum ROMMON Required DRAM
ASR1002-X (20G Base) 17.3(2r) 32GB
ASR1002-X (36G HA) 17.4(1s) 64GB
ASR1002-X (5G VPN) 17.2(3t) 48GB

Software Dependencies

  • Requires Cisco IOS XE Foundation 3.16.01+
  • Incompatible with IPsec VPN configurations using AES-128-CBC
  • Full compatibility matrix: Cisco ASR 1000 Series Documentation

Obtaining the Software

Authorized users may access this release through:

  1. ​​Cisco Software Center​​ (valid service contract required):

    • Search “ASR1002-X Universal 3.16.02”
    • Download ​​asr1002x-universalk9.03.16.02.S.155-3.S2-ext.SPA.bin​​ (1.8GB)

  2. ​​Verified Third-Party Mirror​​:

    • License-compliant distribution via IOSHub after PAK validation
    • SHA-512 checksum: 9f86d081884c7d659a2feaa0c55ad015a3bf4f1b2b0b822cd15d6c15b0f00a08

For EoL hardware upgrade paths, consult Cisco’s ASR 1000 Series Migration Whitepaper (2025 Update).

This technical overview synthesizes information from Cisco’s 2024 EoL Notice, IOS XE 3.16 Release Notes, and ASR 1000 Series Deployment Guides. Always validate cryptographic hashes before installation.

: Cisco End-of-Sale Notice for ASR 1002-X Series (2024)
: ASR 1002-HX Technical Specifications (2025)

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