CVE-2025-20165: A vulnerability in the SIP processing subsystem of Cisco BroadWorks could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to halt the processing of incoming...

Description

A vulnerability in the SIP processing subsystem of Cisco BroadWorks could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to halt the processing of incoming SIP requests, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. This vulnerability is due to improper memory handling for certain SIP requests. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a high number of SIP requests to an affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to exhaust the memory that was allocated to the Cisco BroadWorks Network Servers that handle SIP traffic. If no memory is available, the Network Servers can no longer process incoming requests, resulting in a DoS condition that requires manual intervention to recover.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

0.83%

52.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-789

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Cisco	Broadworks Network Server	< 2024.11

References

Timeline

Published: Jan 22, 2025
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-20165?

A vulnerability in the SIP processing subsystem of Cisco BroadWorks could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to halt the processing of incoming SIP requests, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. This vulnerability is due to improper memory handling for certain SIP requests. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a high number of SIP requests to an affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to exhaust the memory that was allocated to the Cisco BroadWorks Network Servers that handle SIP traffic. If no memory is available, the Network Servers can no longer process incoming requests, resulting in a DoS condition that requires manual intervention to recover.

How severe is CVE-2025-20165?

CVE-2025-20165 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.83% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2025-20165?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.