CVE-2014-2160 in TelePresence MXP
Summary
by MITRE
The H.225 subsystem in Cisco TelePresence System MXP Series Software before F9.3.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device reload) via crafted packets, aka Bug ID CSCty45745.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/12/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-2160 affects the H.225 subsystem within Cisco TelePresence System MXP Series Software versions prior to F9.3.1, representing a critical denial of service flaw that can be exploited remotely. This vulnerability resides within the signaling protocol implementation that governs communication between telepresence devices and their control systems, specifically targeting the H.225 protocol which is fundamental to video conferencing communications. The issue manifests when the system receives malformed or specially crafted packets that trigger an unexpected behavior in the processing logic, ultimately leading to an unauthorized device reload or reboot.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input validation within the H.225 subsystem's packet processing routines, where the software fails to properly sanitize incoming network traffic before attempting to parse and process H.225 signaling messages. This weakness creates an exploitable condition that allows attackers to craft specific packet sequences that cause the system to enter an unrecoverable error state, resulting in automatic device restart. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-129 as an insufficient input validation issue, where the system does not adequately validate the range or format of input data, leading to unexpected behavior. The flaw specifically impacts the system's ability to handle malformed H.225 messages, which are part of the H.323 telephony standard used for multimedia communication over IP networks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to organizations relying on Cisco TelePresence systems for critical communication infrastructure, as it can be exploited remotely without authentication requirements, potentially causing service disruption during important meetings or communications. The impact extends beyond simple availability issues since telepresence systems often serve as primary communication channels for executive meetings, emergency response coordination, and business-critical collaborations. The automatic device reload can result in loss of ongoing conferences, disruption of business continuity, and potential data loss from interrupted sessions. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks, where adversaries leverage system weaknesses to disrupt network services, and represents a classic example of how protocol implementation flaws can create remote exploitation opportunities.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the vendor-provided security patch for F9.3.1 or later versions that address the input validation issues in the H.225 subsystem. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of telepresence systems to untrusted networks, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect anomalous packet patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additional protective measures include implementing intrusion detection systems with signatures for known malicious packet patterns and establishing network access controls to restrict communication to only authorized endpoints. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in network protocol implementations and highlights how even seemingly minor flaws in signaling protocols can have significant operational impacts on enterprise communication infrastructure, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security testing of telephony and video conferencing systems.