CVE-2021-1184 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 vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-1184 affects Cisco Small Business routers including RV110W, RV130, RV130W, and RV215W models, presenting a critical security risk through their web-based management interfaces. These devices operate within small office and home environments where they serve as primary network gateways, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals seeking persistent access to network infrastructures. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the web interface, creating exploitable entry points for authenticated remote attackers who possess administrative credentials. This flaw represents a classic example of insufficient sanitization of user-supplied data, which falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-20, specifically addressing improper input validation issues that can lead to various injection attacks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to leverage crafted HTTP requests against the affected device's management interface while authenticated with administrative privileges. This authentication requirement significantly reduces the attack surface compared to unauthenticated vulnerabilities but does not eliminate the risk entirely, as attackers can still gain administrative access through credential theft, default credential exploitation, or other means. The consequences of successful exploitation are severe, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary code with root-level privileges on the underlying operating system, effectively providing them with complete control over the device. Additionally, the vulnerability can be exploited to cause unexpected device reboots, leading to denial of service conditions that can disrupt network connectivity for extended periods.
From an operational perspective, the impact of CVE-2021-1184 extends beyond simple device compromise, as these routers typically serve as network perimeters for small businesses and home offices. The ability to execute code as root user allows attackers to modify network configurations, establish persistent backdoors, intercept network traffic, or use the compromised device as a launch point for further attacks against internal networks. The lack of available software updates from Cisco for this vulnerability creates a particularly concerning scenario where affected organizations cannot remediate the issue through standard patch management processes, leaving their network infrastructure exposed to potential compromise. This situation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, where attackers can leverage compromised routers to execute malicious commands and establish persistence within network environments.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate these devices from critical systems, implementing strict access controls and monitoring for unusual administrative activities, and conducting comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all affected devices within their network infrastructure. The absence of official patches from Cisco necessitates additional security measures such as network intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts, implementing strong authentication mechanisms including multi-factor authentication, and establishing network access controls that limit administrative access to only authorized personnel. Security teams should also consider deploying network monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous traffic patterns associated with exploitation attempts and maintain detailed audit logs of administrative activities to enable forensic analysis if compromise occurs.