CVE-2020-3276 in RV016
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple vulnerabilities in the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV320 and RV325 Series Routers and Cisco Small Business RV016, RV042, and RV082 Routers could allow an authenticated, remote attacker with administrative privileges to execute arbitrary commands on an affected device. The vulnerabilities exist because the web-based management interface does not properly validate user-supplied input to scripts. An attacker with administrative privileges that are sufficient to log in to the web-based management interface could exploit each vulnerability by sending malicious requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges on the underlying operating system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/24/2020
The Cisco Small Business RV320 and RV325 Series Routers along with RV016 RV042 and RV082 Routers present a critical security vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-3276 that stems from insufficient input validation within their web-based management interfaces. This vulnerability creates a pathway for authenticated remote attackers who possess administrative credentials to escalate their privileges and execute arbitrary commands on the affected devices. The flaw specifically resides in how the web interface processes user-supplied input to scripts without proper sanitization or validation mechanisms, creating a direct code execution vector that bypasses normal security controls.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability leverages the fact that the affected routers implement a web-based management interface that fails to properly sanitize input parameters passed to backend scripts. When an attacker with administrative access submits maliciously crafted requests containing specially formatted input to the web interface, the system processes these inputs without adequate validation checks. This lack of input sanitization creates a command injection vulnerability that allows attackers to inject and execute arbitrary commands with root privileges on the underlying operating system. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and represents a classic example of insufficient input validation that can lead to privilege escalation and remote code execution.
From an operational impact perspective this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on these routers for network security. The ability to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges means attackers can completely compromise the affected devices and potentially use them as stepping stones for further network infiltration. The vulnerability affects multiple router models within Cisco's Small Business product line, creating a widespread potential impact across numerous network environments. Organizations with these devices in production may face unauthorized access to their network infrastructure, potential data exfiltration, and complete loss of control over the affected routing equipment.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) framework where it aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-89, representing command injection vulnerabilities and improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands respectively. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation and command and control techniques where attackers can leverage the root access to establish persistent presence within network environments. Mitigation strategies should include immediate firmware updates from Cisco addressing the identified vulnerabilities, implementation of network segmentation to limit access to administrative interfaces, and deployment of network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous command execution patterns. Additionally, organizations should enforce principle of least privilege by restricting administrative access to only necessary personnel and implementing multi-factor authentication for all administrative accounts. Regular vulnerability assessments and network audits should be conducted to identify and remediate similar input validation flaws in other network infrastructure components.