CVE-2010-0585 in IOS
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco IOS 12.1 through 12.4, when Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express (CME) or Cisco Unified Survivable Remote Site Telephony (SRST) is enabled, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device reload) via a malformed Skinny Client Control Protocol (SCCP) message, aka Bug ID CSCsz48614, the "SCCP Packet Processing Denial of Service Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/03/2026
The vulnerability described in CVE-2010-0585 represents a critical denial of service flaw affecting Cisco IOS versions 12.1 through 12.4 when specific Unified Communications features are enabled. This weakness specifically targets the Skinny Client Control Protocol implementation within Cisco's unified communications infrastructure, creating a pathway for remote attackers to disrupt network services without requiring authentication credentials. The vulnerability manifests when the affected Cisco IOS devices process malformed SCCP messages, which are essential for communication between Cisco IP phones and the call manager system. This issue particularly impacts environments utilizing Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express or Cisco Unified Survivable Remote Site Telephony functionality, where the device's processing of malformed packets can trigger an immediate system reload, effectively taking the device offline and disrupting voice communications.
The technical flaw resides in the insufficient input validation mechanisms within the SCCP packet processing module of Cisco IOS. When a malformed SCCP message is received by an affected device, the processing routine fails to properly sanitize or reject the invalid data structure, causing the device to enter an unstable state that ultimately results in automatic device reload. This behavior aligns with CWE-129, which describes improper validation of array indices and other input validation issues that can lead to unexpected system behavior. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with buffer overflows or improper input handling, where the device's failure to properly validate incoming packet structures leads to memory corruption and subsequent system instability. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no authentication and can be executed remotely, making it accessible to any attacker capable of sending network packets to the targeted device.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can compromise the reliability of critical voice communications infrastructure. Organizations utilizing Cisco CME or SRST capabilities face significant risk when devices are subject to this attack, as the automatic device reload can occur without warning and may not be immediately apparent to network administrators. The disruption affects not only local voice services but can also impact remote site telephony capabilities, particularly in distributed network environments where SRST functionality is designed to maintain communications during primary network failures. This vulnerability can be exploited to create sustained denial of service conditions, potentially leading to extended periods of communication disruption that can impact business operations, emergency services, and critical communication pathways within enterprise networks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-0585 should focus on immediate patch deployment through Cisco's security advisories, as the vulnerability requires no authentication and can be exploited remotely. Network administrators should implement access control lists to restrict access to SCCP ports and consider disabling unnecessary SCCP functionality when not required for operations. The mitigation approach aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which involves denial of service through resource exhaustion, and emphasizes the importance of network segmentation and access control. Organizations should also monitor network traffic for unusual patterns related to SCCP message processing and implement intrusion detection systems to identify potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, maintaining current Cisco IOS versions and applying security patches promptly represents the most effective long-term solution, as this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping network infrastructure updated with the latest security mitigations to prevent remote code execution and denial of service conditions that can severely impact enterprise communications infrastructure.