CVE-2020-3288 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 code on an affected device. The vulnerabilities are due to insufficient boundary restrictions on user-supplied input to scripts in the web-based management interface. An attacker with administrative privileges that are sufficient to log in to the web-based management interface could exploit each vulnerability by sending crafted requests that contain overly large values to an affected device, causing a stack overflow. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the device to crash or allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges on the underlying operating system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/25/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-3288 affects Cisco Small Business routers including the RV320 and RV325 series as well as the RV016 RV042 and RV082 models. These devices operate within small business environments where they serve as critical network infrastructure components managing routing and firewall functions. The vulnerability exists within the web-based management interface, which represents a common attack surface for network devices due to its accessibility and the administrative privileges it can grant. The affected devices run embedded operating systems that are particularly susceptible to stack overflow conditions when input validation is insufficient.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate boundary checks on user-supplied input within scripts that process requests through the web interface. This represents a classic buffer overflow vulnerability where the system fails to properly validate the size and content of input parameters before processing them. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires only administrative authentication, which is often less strictly controlled than network-level access. Attackers who can authenticate with administrative credentials can craft malicious requests containing oversized data values that exceed the allocated stack space, leading to stack corruption and potential code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows for complete system compromise with root privileges. A successful exploitation can result in device crashes that disrupt network services or enable persistent backdoor access through arbitrary code execution. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it leverages legitimate administrative access, making it difficult to detect through traditional network monitoring. The vulnerability affects devices that are commonly deployed in small business environments where security monitoring may be limited, potentially allowing attackers to maintain long-term access to critical network infrastructure. This scenario aligns with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059 technique for command and scripting interpreter, where adversaries use legitimate system tools to execute malicious code.
From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability violates security standards such as those outlined in the CWE-121 category for stack-based buffer overflow conditions. The weakness creates a direct path for privilege escalation and system compromise that could result in data breaches, network disruption, and potential lateral movement within affected networks. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including firmware updates from Cisco, network segmentation to limit access to administrative interfaces, and enhanced monitoring of administrative login activities. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and boundary checking in embedded systems, as specified in security guidelines from NIST and ISO 27001 standards for information security management.