CVE-2015-0722 in TelePresence
Summary
by MITRE
The network drivers in Cisco TelePresence T, Cisco TelePresence TE, and Cisco TelePresence TC before 7.3.2 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (process restart or device reload) via a flood of crafted IP packets, aka Bug ID CSCuj68952.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0722 affects Cisco TelePresence T, Cisco TelePresence TE, and Cisco TelePresence TC devices running firmware versions prior to 7.3.2. This issue represents a significant denial of service weakness that can be exploited remotely by attackers sending specially crafted IP packets to the affected systems. The vulnerability specifically resides within the network drivers of these video conferencing devices, which are designed to handle network traffic for telepresence communications. The flaw allows an attacker to disrupt normal device operations through a flood of malicious packets, potentially causing service interruptions that could severely impact business communications and collaborative workflows.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the network driver components of the affected Cisco TelePresence devices. When these devices receive crafted IP packets, the network drivers fail to properly handle the malformed or specially constructed packets, leading to unexpected behavior that results in process restarts or complete device reloads. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-129, Input Validation, and represents a classic case of insufficient bounds checking in network protocol handling. The attackers can leverage this weakness by sending a high volume of specifically crafted packets that trigger buffer overflows or other memory corruption conditions within the network driver stack. The vulnerability demonstrates poor defensive programming practices where the system does not adequately sanitize incoming network traffic before processing it.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-0722 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise business continuity for organizations relying on Cisco TelePresence systems for critical communications. When devices restart or reload due to this vulnerability, it can interrupt ongoing video conferences, disrupt collaborative meetings, and force users to reestablish connections that may be time-sensitive or critical for business operations. Organizations using these devices in mission-critical environments could face significant productivity losses and potential financial impacts from service interruptions. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not need physical access to the devices and can target them from anywhere on the network, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations with limited network security controls. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for Network Denial of Service and represents a common attack vector in the telecommunications and enterprise communications sectors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-0722 primarily involve updating the affected Cisco TelePresence devices to firmware version 7.3.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the network driver vulnerabilities. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of these devices to untrusted networks, particularly by placing them behind firewalls and network access control lists. Network monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect unusual packet flooding patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts, and intrusion detection systems should be configured to alert on suspicious network traffic targeting these specific devices. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular vulnerability assessments and maintain updated inventories of all telepresence and video conferencing equipment to ensure timely patch deployment across their entire network infrastructure. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patches in controlled environments before deployment to production systems to avoid potential compatibility issues with existing network configurations.