CVE-2021-1179 in Small Business
Summary
by MITRE • 01/14/2021
Multiple vulnerabilities in the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV110W, RV130, RV130W, and RV215W Routers could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause an affected device to restart unexpectedly. The vulnerabilities are due to improper validation of user-supplied input in the web-based management interface. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code as the root user on the underlying operating system or cause the device to reload, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. To exploit these vulnerabilities, an attacker would need to have valid administrator credentials on the affected device. Cisco has not released software updates that address these vulnerabilities.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/13/2021
The Cisco Small Business routers RV110W, RV130, RV130W, and RV215W are vulnerable to multiple code execution and denial of service vulnerabilities that stem from inadequate input validation within their web-based management interfaces. These devices, designed for small office environments, present a significant security risk due to their widespread deployment in corporate networks where they often serve as primary gateways for network access. The vulnerabilities are categorized under CWE-20, which represents improper input validation, a fundamental weakness that allows attackers to manipulate system behavior through maliciously crafted inputs. The affected devices operate on embedded operating systems that are particularly susceptible to such flaws when exposed through web interfaces that lack proper sanitization of user-supplied data.
The technical exploitation of these vulnerabilities requires an authenticated attacker with administrator credentials, which significantly reduces the attack surface but does not eliminate the risk entirely. Attackers can leverage these weaknesses by crafting specially formatted HTTP requests that bypass input validation mechanisms within the web interface. When these requests are processed, they trigger buffer overflows or command injection scenarios that allow execution of arbitrary code with root privileges on the underlying operating system. The attack vectors specifically target the web server component of the router firmware, which handles administrative requests and translates them into system-level operations. This architecture creates a direct pathway for privilege escalation from administrative user context to root access, enabling full system compromise.
The operational impact of these vulnerabilities extends beyond simple code execution to include potential denial of service conditions that can disrupt network operations for extended periods. When exploited successfully, the vulnerabilities can cause the affected routers to reload unexpectedly, creating network outages that may persist until manual intervention occurs. This behavior aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service, where attackers can render network infrastructure unavailable through system-level disruptions. The combination of remote code execution and denial of service capabilities makes these vulnerabilities particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where network availability is critical for business operations. Organizations that rely on these routers for internet connectivity, firewall protection, and network segmentation face potential exposure to complete network compromise, data exfiltration, and service disruption.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate affected devices from critical systems, enforcing strong authentication controls, and monitoring for suspicious HTTP traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The lack of official patches from Cisco for these vulnerabilities necessitates additional defensive measures such as deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify malicious HTTP request patterns and implementing strict access controls for administrative interfaces. Network administrators should also consider disabling web-based management interfaces when possible and relying on secure shell or other encrypted management protocols. Regular security assessments of network infrastructure should include identification of these vulnerable device models, and organizations should develop incident response procedures that account for potential compromise of core network infrastructure devices. The vulnerabilities represent a classic example of how embedded systems in network infrastructure can become attack vectors when proper security controls are not implemented at the design phase, highlighting the importance of secure coding practices and regular vulnerability assessments in industrial control systems and network infrastructure devices.