CVE-2014-0701 in Wireless LAN Controller
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) devices 7.0 before 7.0.250.0, 7.2, 7.3, and 7.4 before 7.4.110.0 do not properly deallocate memory, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (reboot) by sending WebAuth login requests at a high rate, aka Bug ID CSCuf52361.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0701 affects Cisco Wireless LAN Controller devices across multiple software versions including 7.0 before 7.0.250.0, 7.2, 7.3, and 7.4 before 7.4.110.0. This flaw represents a memory management issue that manifests as a denial of service condition, specifically causing the affected devices to reboot unexpectedly. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it allows remote attackers to exploit this weakness without requiring authentication, making it accessible to anyone on the network. The issue stems from improper memory deallocation mechanisms within the WebAuth login processing functionality of the wireless controllers.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient memory management practices within the Cisco WLC software implementation. When the system receives a high volume of WebAuth login requests, the memory allocation and deallocation processes fail to properly handle the resource cleanup operations. This leads to memory exhaustion or corruption conditions that ultimately trigger the device reboot sequence. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-400 as an unspecified vulnerability in memory management, specifically related to improper deallocation of memory resources. The attack vector requires only network connectivity to the affected WLC device, making it particularly dangerous in environments where wireless access is critical for business operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-0701 is significant for organizations relying on Cisco wireless infrastructure. When exploited, the vulnerability causes unexpected device reboots that disrupt wireless network connectivity for all connected clients, potentially affecting thousands of users simultaneously. This type of denial of service attack can result in substantial business disruption, especially in enterprise environments where wireless networks support critical applications and services. The vulnerability affects the availability aspect of the CIA triad by compromising the ability of wireless users to access network resources. Organizations may experience downtime that impacts productivity, customer service, and overall business continuity. The attack can be executed remotely, meaning that malicious actors do not need physical access to the wireless infrastructure to cause disruption.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which covers "Endpoint Denial of Service" and specifically targets network infrastructure devices. Security practitioners should note that this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management in network infrastructure devices, particularly those handling authentication requests. Organizations should implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect unusual traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the need for regular patch management processes, as Cisco released fixes for this issue in subsequent software releases. Network administrators should consider implementing rate limiting mechanisms on WebAuth login endpoints as a temporary mitigation while applying official security updates. Additionally, continuous monitoring of device logs for reboot events and unusual authentication patterns can help detect exploitation attempts before they cause significant disruption to wireless services.