CVE-2014-3397 in TelePresence MCU Software
Summary
by MITRE
The network stack in Cisco TelePresence MCU Software before 4.3(2.30) allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) via crafted TCP packets, aka Bug ID CSCtz35468.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/30/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3397 resides within the network stack implementation of Cisco TelePresence MCU Software, specifically affecting versions prior to 4.3(2.30). This flaw represents a critical security weakness that enables remote attackers to execute a denial of service attack by exploiting memory consumption patterns through the deliberate crafting of TCP packets. The vulnerability was catalogued under Cisco bug ID CSCtz35468, indicating its classification within the company's internal tracking system for security issues.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves the improper handling of TCP packet structures within the network stack of the TelePresence MCU software. When the system receives specially crafted TCP packets, the memory management routines fail to properly validate or process these malformed inputs, leading to excessive memory allocation or consumption. This memory exhaustion occurs during the packet processing phase, where the software's TCP stack implementation lacks adequate input sanitization and resource limiting controls. The flaw specifically targets the memory management subsystem that handles incoming network connections and data transmission, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where the system must process continuous traffic.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can effectively render the entire TelePresence MCU system unusable for legitimate users. Attackers can maintain sustained memory consumption attacks that gradually deplete available system resources until the device becomes unresponsive or crashes entirely. This denial of service condition affects not only the immediate availability of video conferencing services but also potentially impacts business continuity for organizations relying on Cisco TelePresence solutions for critical communications. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries do not require physical access or local network privileges to exploit the vulnerability, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments with extensive network exposure.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates that address the memory handling flaws in the TCP stack implementation. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of affected systems to untrusted networks, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual memory consumption patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which covers improper validation of input, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks. System administrators should also consider implementing rate limiting and connection tracking mechanisms to prevent exploitation attempts, while maintaining regular security assessments to identify similar memory management weaknesses in other network infrastructure components.