CVE-2019-1652 in RV320
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV320 and RV325 Dual Gigabit WAN VPN Routers could allow an authenticated, remote attacker with administrative privileges on an affected device to execute arbitrary commands. The vulnerability is due to improper validation of user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending malicious HTTP POST requests to the web-based management interface of an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying Linux shell as root. Cisco has released firmware updates that address this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-1652 affects Cisco Small Business RV320 and RV325 Dual Gigabit WAN VPN Routers, representing a critical security flaw in their web-based management interface. This issue stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data, creating a pathway for malicious exploitation. The affected devices operate on a Linux-based operating system, making them susceptible to command injection attacks that can escalate privileges to the root level. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the system processes HTTP POST requests through the web interface, where user input is not adequately validated before being processed by the underlying shell commands.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an authenticated attacker who already possesses administrative privileges on the affected device, which significantly reduces the initial attack surface but does not eliminate the risk entirely. Attackers can leverage this flaw by crafting malicious HTTP POST requests that contain specially formatted payloads designed to bypass input validation checks. These payloads typically consist of command injection sequences that exploit the improper input handling to execute arbitrary shell commands with root privileges. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-77 category of Command Injection, which is a well-documented weakness in software systems where user-supplied input is directly incorporated into command execution without proper sanitization or encoding.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe threat to network security infrastructure as it allows attackers to gain complete control over the affected routers. The ability to execute commands as root provides attackers with unrestricted access to network configurations, user data, and potentially the entire network segment controlled by these devices. The implications extend beyond simple privilege escalation, as compromised routers can serve as launching points for further network infiltration, data exfiltration, or denial of service attacks against connected systems. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically targeting the execution of system commands through the web interface.
Cisco has addressed this vulnerability through firmware updates that implement proper input validation mechanisms to prevent malicious payloads from being executed. Organizations should immediately deploy these updates to protect their network infrastructure, as the vulnerability does not require complex attack vectors beyond having administrative access to the device. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as network segmentation, access control lists, and monitoring of web interface access to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in web applications and highlights how seemingly minor implementation flaws can result in complete system compromise, particularly in network infrastructure devices that serve as critical control points for enterprise networks.