CVE-2014-0706 in Wireless LAN Controller
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) devices 7.2 before 7.2.115.2, 7.3, and 7.4 before 7.4.110.0 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device restart) via a crafted 802.11 Ethernet frame, aka Bug ID CSCue87929.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0706 affects Cisco Wireless LAN Controller devices operating within specific software version ranges, presenting a significant security risk that can be exploited remotely to disrupt network operations. This flaw specifically impacts WLC devices running software versions 7.2 prior to 7.2.115.2, version 7.3, and 7.4 prior to 7.4.110.0, creating a window of exposure across multiple release lines that organizations must address promptly. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the wireless controller's processing of 802.11 Ethernet frames, which allows malicious actors to craft specially designed network packets that trigger unexpected behavior in the device's operating system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability resides in the device's failure to properly validate and sanitize incoming 802.11 Ethernet frames before processing them within the wireless controller's network stack. When a crafted frame is received, the device's processing logic encounters malformed or unexpected data that causes the system to enter an unstable state, ultimately leading to a complete device restart or crash. This behavior aligns with CWE-129, Input Validation, and CWE-248, Unhandled Exception, as the system does not properly handle malformed input data that could cause unexpected execution paths. The flaw operates at the network protocol level where 802.11 frames are processed, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered by any device within the wireless network's range that can transmit malicious frames.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability represents a critical threat to wireless network availability and business continuity, as remote attackers can exploit it to perform denial of service attacks against wireless infrastructure without requiring any authentication credentials. The impact extends beyond simple network disruption, as wireless controllers serve as central management points for multiple access points and wireless clients, meaning a successful attack can cascade into broader network outages. Organizations relying on Cisco WLC devices for their wireless infrastructure face potential operational downtime, loss of wireless connectivity for users, and increased administrative overhead as network teams must respond to and recover from the device restarts. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target these devices from outside the network perimeter, making traditional network segmentation ineffective against this specific threat vector.
The attack surface for this vulnerability is particularly concerning given the widespread deployment of Cisco WLC devices in enterprise environments, making it a high-priority target for threat actors seeking to disrupt wireless services. Network defenders should consider this vulnerability in the context of ATT&CK framework's T1498, Network Denial of Service, and T1566, Phishing, as attackers may use this flaw in conjunction with other attack vectors to maximize their impact. Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate software updates to the patched versions, network segmentation to limit exposure, and implementation of network monitoring to detect anomalous 802.11 frame patterns. Organizations should also consider implementing rate limiting on wireless frames and establishing incident response procedures to quickly address device restart events. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current security patches and the potential consequences of delayed patch management in wireless infrastructure environments.