apt-get: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.18' not found (required by /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6)

I have this machine

$ cat /proc/cpuinfo
processor   : 0
vendor_id   : AuthenticAMD
cpu family  : 16
model       : 8
model name  : AMD Opteron(tm) Processor 4171 HE
stepping    : 1
microcode   : 0xffffffff
cpu MHz     : 2094.720
cache size  : 512 KB
physical id : 0
siblings    : 1
core id     : 0
cpu cores   : 1
apicid      : 0
initial apicid  : 0
fpu     : yes
fpu_exception   : yes
cpuid level : 5
wp      : yes
flags       : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt lm 3dnowext 3dnow rep_good nopl extd_apicid pni cx16 popcnt hypervisor lahf_lm cmp_legacy cr8_legacy abm sse4a misalignsse 3dnowprefetch osvw vmmcall
bogomips    : 4189.44
TLB size    : 1024 4K pages
clflush size    : 64
cache_alignment : 64
address sizes   : 42 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
power management:

running on

$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description:    Ubuntu 14.04.5 LTS
Release:    14.04
Codename:   trusty

For some reason I get this error

$ apt-get
apt-get: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.18' not found (required by /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6)

and trying to reinstall the packages it does not solve the problem

$ sudo dpkg -i ipts libc6_2.17-0ubuntu5.1_i386.deb 
dpkg: error processing archive ipts (--install):
 cannot access archive: No such file or directory
(Reading database ... 194474 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack libc6_2.17-0ubuntu5.1_i386.deb ...
Unpacking libc6:i386 (2.17-0ubuntu5.1) over (2.17-0ubuntu5.1) ...
dpkg: error processing package libc6:i386 (--install):
 package libc6:i386 2.17-0ubuntu5.1 cannot be configured because libc6:amd64 is at a different version (2.17-0ubuntu5)
Errors were encountered while processing:
 ipts
 libc6:i386

and

$ sudo dpkg -i ipts libc6_2.17-0ubuntu5_amd64.deb
dpkg: error processing archive ipts (--install):
 cannot access archive: No such file or directory
(Reading database ... 194474 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack libc6_2.17-0ubuntu5_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libc6:amd64 (2.17-0ubuntu5) over (2.17-0ubuntu5) ...
dpkg: error processing package libc6:amd64 (--install):
 package libc6:amd64 2.17-0ubuntu5 cannot be configured because libc6:i386 is at a different version (2.17-0ubuntu5.1)
Errors were encountered while processing:
 ipts
 libc6:amd64

For some reason I get this error

trusty uses glibc-2.19 by default.

Somehow you managed to install glibc-2.17 instead, and now you are facing consequences. Downgrading your glibc to a lower version is the worst idea ever, and is likely to render your system unbootable. Just don't do it (TM).