CVE-2010-2834 in IOS
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco IOS 12.2 through 12.4 and 15.0 through 15.1, Cisco IOS XE 2.5.x and 2.6.x before 2.6.1, and Cisco Unified Communications Manager (aka CUCM, formerly CallManager) 6.x before 6.1(5)SU1, 7.x before 7.1(5), and 8.0 before 8.0(2) allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device reload or voice-services outage) via crafted SIP registration traffic over UDP, aka Bug IDs CSCtf72678 and CSCtf14987.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/25/2021
Cisco IOS and Unified Communications Manager devices are vulnerable to a denial of service attack through crafted SIP registration traffic that can cause device reloads or voice service outages. This vulnerability affects multiple versions of Cisco IOS including 12.2 through 12.4 and 15.0 through 15.1, as well as IOS XE 2.5.x and 2.6.x before 2.6.1, and Cisco Unified Communications Manager versions 6.x before 6.1(5)SU1, 7.x before 7.1(5), and 8.0 before 8.0(2). The flaw occurs when devices process malformed SIP registration packets transmitted over UDP protocol, leading to system instability and potential complete service disruption. This vulnerability represents a critical weakness in the SIP processing mechanisms of these communication platforms, where improper input validation allows malicious actors to exploit the protocol handling functions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of SIP registration messages within the affected Cisco products. When legitimate SIP registration requests contain malformed or specially crafted parameters, the processing code fails to properly handle these edge cases, resulting in memory corruption or unexpected behavior that ultimately triggers device restarts or service interruptions. The vulnerability operates at the application layer protocol processing level, specifically targeting the Session Initiation Protocol implementation within Cisco's communication infrastructure. This type of flaw commonly maps to CWE-129: Improper Validation of Array Index and CWE-704: Incorrect Type Conversion or Cast, as the system fails to validate the integrity and structure of incoming SIP messages before processing them.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise business continuity and communication reliability in enterprise environments. Organizations relying on Cisco Unified Communications Manager for voice services face the risk of complete voice system outages during peak usage periods, which can result in significant productivity losses and customer service degradation. The remote attack vector means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from outside the network perimeter without requiring physical access or authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with limited network segmentation. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004: Endpoint Denial of Service, where adversaries target network infrastructure devices to disrupt services and create operational chaos.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve implementing immediate software updates and patches provided by Cisco, which address the specific SIP processing flaws in affected versions. Network administrators should prioritize patching affected devices and verify that all Cisco IOS and CUCM systems are updated to versions that contain the necessary security fixes. Additional protective measures include implementing network access controls to restrict SIP traffic to trusted sources, deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for anomalous SIP registration patterns, and establishing network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing rate limiting on SIP registration requests and monitoring for unusual traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing proper network monitoring to detect and respond to exploitation attempts before they cause significant service disruption.