CVE-2020-3331 in RV110W
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco RV110W Wireless-N VPN Firewall and Cisco RV215W Wireless-N VPN Router could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to improper validation of user-supplied input data by the web-based management interface. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted requests to a targeted device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the root user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/04/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-3331 affects Cisco RV110W Wireless-N VPN Firewall and RV215W Wireless-N VPN Router devices, representing a critical security flaw in their web-based management interfaces. This weakness stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing. The affected devices operate with web interfaces that handle administrative functions through HTTP requests, creating an attack surface where malicious input can be leveraged to compromise the entire system. The vulnerability exists within the device's handling of HTTP parameters and form data submitted through the web management portal, making it accessible to any remote attacker without requiring authentication credentials.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through carefully crafted HTTP requests that manipulate input fields within the web interface. When the affected device processes these malformed requests, the insufficient validation allows attacker-controlled data to be interpreted as executable commands rather than simple input values. This type of vulnerability is classified as a command injection flaw, which can be mapped to CWE-77 and CWE-94 within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The attack vector requires only network access to the device's management interface, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access or legitimate credentials. The exploitation process typically involves crafting specific payloads that bypass the input sanitization mechanisms, ultimately leading to arbitrary code execution within the device's operating system environment.
The operational impact of successfully exploiting CVE-2020-3331 is severe and potentially catastrophic for network security. Since the attack can be executed with root privileges, an attacker gains complete control over the affected router, enabling them to modify network configurations, establish persistent backdoors, redirect traffic, or use the device as a pivot point for attacking other systems within the network. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to transform a network security device into an attacker-controlled node, potentially compromising the entire local network infrastructure. This type of compromise can lead to man-in-the-middle attacks, data exfiltration, network disruption, and can serve as a launching point for broader network infiltration attempts. The attack aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1021.001 for remote services, demonstrating how a single vulnerability can enable multiple attack paths and lateral movement capabilities.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the latest security patches provided by Cisco, which address the input validation issues through proper sanitization of user-supplied data. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to restrict access to the router management interfaces from untrusted networks, limiting the attack surface where possible. Additional defensive measures include monitoring network traffic for suspicious HTTP requests, implementing intrusion detection systems to identify potential exploitation attempts, and conducting regular security assessments of network devices. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and input validation in network infrastructure devices, particularly those with web-based management interfaces that must be accessible from potentially untrusted network environments. Organizations should also consider implementing network access control measures that require authentication and encryption for all management communications to prevent unauthorized access to administrative interfaces.