cockroach problemnoun.
A problem that is bigger than it initially appears.
Example Citation:
ANDY SERWER, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "FORTUNE": "Well, Terry, Procter & Gamble has a cockroach problem, and, you know, we know what that means; in other words, you've got one little piece of bad news, and there is always more, just like those little bugs."
"In the Money," CNN, June 8, 2000