CVE-2014-2166 in TelePresence TC
Summary
by MITRE
The SIP implementation in Cisco TelePresence TC Software 4.x and TE Software 4.x allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device reload) via crafted SIP packets, aka Bug ID CSCto70562.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/12/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-2166 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Cisco TelePresence systems that affects both TelePresence TC Software version 4.x and TE Software version 4.x. This weakness specifically resides in the Session Initiation Protocol implementation which forms the backbone of voice and video communication in these enterprise telepresence solutions. The vulnerability exploits a fundamental flaw in how the software processes incoming SIP packets, creating a condition where maliciously crafted packets can trigger unexpected behavior in the system's processing logic.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the SIP message handling mechanism. When the affected Cisco TelePresence devices receive specially crafted SIP packets, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize the incoming data before processing it. This lack of proper boundary checking and input sanitization creates a condition where the device's SIP parser encounters malformed or unexpected packet structures that cause the system to crash or restart. The flaw operates at the protocol level where the device's SIP implementation does not adequately handle edge cases or malformed data structures that could be present in maliciously constructed packets.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to organizations relying on Cisco TelePresence infrastructure for critical communications. The remote exploitation capability means attackers can trigger device reloads without requiring physical access or local network presence, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such systems are often deployed in high-security locations. The denial of service impact directly affects business continuity as the device reloads disrupt communication services, potentially leaving critical meeting and collaboration sessions inoperable. This vulnerability can be exploited by attackers from outside the network perimeter, making it a particularly concerning weakness for organizations with remote workers or those connected to the internet.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses issues related to insufficient input validation, and represents a classic example of how protocol parsing errors can lead to system instability. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the MITRE ATT&CK technique T1499, specifically targeting network denial of service attacks. The flaw demonstrates how seemingly benign protocol implementations can become attack vectors when proper validation mechanisms are absent. Organizations using these affected versions of Cisco TelePresence software should immediately implement mitigation strategies including network segmentation, firewall rules to restrict SIP traffic, and application-level filtering to prevent malformed packets from reaching the vulnerable systems. Cisco has released patches and updates to address this vulnerability, and organizations must ensure these updates are deployed promptly to maintain system integrity and availability.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the importance of robust input validation in network protocol implementations. It serves as a reminder that even well-established communication protocols can introduce security weaknesses when not properly implemented or when edge cases are not adequately considered during development. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their telepresence and collaboration infrastructure, particularly focusing on protocol handling mechanisms and ensuring proper input validation is implemented across all network-facing applications and services.