CVE-2014-2156 in TelePresence MXP
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco TelePresence System MXP Series Software before F9.3.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device reload) via crafted SIP packets, aka Bug ID CSCty45739.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/12/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-2156 affects Cisco TelePresence System MXP Series Software versions prior to F9.3.1, representing a critical denial of service weakness that can be exploited remotely through crafted SIP packets. This vulnerability specifically targets the media processing subsystem of Cisco TelePresence devices, which are widely deployed in enterprise video conferencing environments and government facilities. The flaw enables attackers to trigger device reboots without requiring authentication, effectively disrupting critical communication infrastructure and potentially compromising business continuity operations.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the SIP message processing component of the affected Cisco TelePresence software. When the system receives malformed or specially crafted SIP packets, the parsing routine fails to properly handle the unexpected data structures, leading to memory corruption and subsequent system instability. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers buffer overflow vulnerabilities in heap-based data structures. The improper handling of SIP protocol elements creates an exploitable condition where attacker-controlled data can overwrite critical system memory regions, ultimately causing the device to crash and reboot automatically.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-2156 extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can severely compromise the availability of critical communication channels within organizations. In enterprise environments, TelePresence systems are often used for executive meetings, customer presentations, and remote collaboration sessions where system uptime is essential. The vulnerability allows attackers to perform persistent denial of service attacks that can be repeated at will, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely heavily on video conferencing infrastructure. From an adversary perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and T1566.001, which involves spearphishing with social engineering tactics to gain initial access.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through the deployment of Cisco's official security patches and software updates. The affected Cisco TelePresence MXP Series devices require upgrade to firmware version F9.3.1 or later to address the vulnerability. Network administrators should also implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous SIP traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additional mitigations include implementing network segmentation to isolate TelePresence systems, deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious SIP packet patterns, and establishing incident response procedures to address potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current security patches in mission-critical communication infrastructure, as unpatched devices can provide attackers with persistent access to sensitive organizational communication channels.