CVE-2014-2184 in Unified Communications Manager
Summary
by MITRE
The IP Manager Assistant (IPMA) component in Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Unified CM) allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via a crafted URL, aka Bug ID CSCun74352.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/12/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-2184 affects the IP Manager Assistant component within Cisco Unified Communications Manager, a critical unified communications platform used extensively in enterprise network environments. This vulnerability represents a sensitive information disclosure flaw that enables remote attackers to extract confidential data through manipulation of Uniform Resource Locators. The issue stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the IPMA component, which fails to properly sanitize user-supplied URL parameters before processing them. The vulnerability was catalogued under Bug ID CSCun74352, indicating its classification within Cisco's internal tracking systems for security defects.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when attackers craft malicious URLs that contain specially formatted parameters designed to trigger information leakage within the IPMA component. The flaw likely resides in how the system processes URL requests without adequate sanitization or access control measures, allowing unauthorized parties to extract sensitive data such as system configurations, user credentials, or internal network information. This represents a classic example of insufficient input validation, which maps directly to CWE-20 - Improper Input Validation, a fundamental weakness that has been consistently identified as a primary attack vector in numerous security breaches. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access or local network presence to carry out the information disclosure attack, significantly expanding the potential attack surface.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-2184 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the leaked data could provide attackers with critical insights into the unified communications infrastructure. This sensitive information might include system architecture details, internal IP addresses, configuration parameters, or other data that could facilitate subsequent attacks within the network. The vulnerability could enable attackers to conduct reconnaissance activities, map network topology, or identify additional targets for exploitation. From an adversarial perspective, this flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1082 - System Information Discovery, where attackers seek to gather information about the target system to inform their attack strategies. The potential for privilege escalation or lateral movement increases significantly when attackers gain access to system-level information through this vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Unified CM systems often serve as central communication hubs.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Cisco security patches and updates released to address this vulnerability, which would typically include input validation improvements and access control enhancements within the IPMA component. Network segmentation strategies should be employed to limit access to the affected systems, while monitoring solutions should be configured to detect anomalous URL access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should also involve reviewing and strengthening URL parameter validation mechanisms throughout the unified communications infrastructure to prevent similar vulnerabilities from manifesting in other components. Additionally, regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify potential weaknesses in the communications platform that could be exploited using similar techniques, ensuring comprehensive protection against information disclosure threats that could compromise enterprise network security.