Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Software: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
CVE-2026-20281 is a high-severity missing release of memory after effective lifetime vulnerability in Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Software from Cisco, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Software versions: 12.1(1)SR1; 11.5(1); 10.3(2), and others listed below. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.57% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Software you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco | Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Software | 12.1(1)SR1; 11.5(1); 10.3(2); 10.2(2); 10.3(1); 10.3(1)SR4; 11.0(1); 10.4(1)SR2 3rd Party; and 32 more ranges | Not stated |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- NoneNo data is disclosed.
- Integrity
- NoneNothing can be modified.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. Scored by CNA (cisco.com).
Official description
A vulnerability in Cisco Desk Phone 9800 Series, Cisco IP Phone 7800 and 8800 Series, and Cisco Video Phone 8875 that are running Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper memory management when an affected device processes HTTP packets. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a continuous stream of crafted HTTP packets to the device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the affected device to continuously consume memory, resulting in a DoS condition. A manual reboot of the device is required to recover from this condition. Note: For this vulnerability to be exploitable, the phone must be registered to Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Unified CM) and have Web Access enabled. Web Access is disabled by default.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
The product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, making the memory unavailable for reallocation and reuse.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language or tool that provides automatic memory management, or makes manual memory management less error-prone. For example, glibc in Linux provides protection against free of invalid pointers. When using Xcode to target OS X or iOS, enable automatic reference counting (ARC). To help correctly and consistently manage memory when programming in C++, consider using a smart pointer class such as std
- Use an abstraction library to abstract away risky APIs. Not a complete solution.
- Consider using the Boehm-Demers-Weiser garbage collector (bdwgc), which can help avoid leaks.
More Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerabilities (CWE-401)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
References
Other references
Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Software
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
Recent Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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