CVE-2021-1190 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-2021-1190 represents a critical security flaw affecting Cisco Small Business routers including the RV110W, RV130, RV130W, and RV215W models. This issue stems from insufficient input validation within the web-based management interface, creating a pathway for authenticated remote attackers to compromise the affected devices. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows for both arbitrary code execution and denial of service conditions, making it a significant threat to network security infrastructure. The affected devices operate on embedded operating systems that are vulnerable to exploitation through carefully crafted HTTP requests that bypass normal input sanitization mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through improper validation of user-supplied input in the web interface components. When administrators submit requests through the management interface, the system fails to properly sanitize or validate the incoming data, creating injection points that can be leveraged by attackers. This type of flaw maps directly to CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1210 for exploiting known vulnerabilities. The lack of proper sanitization allows attackers to inject malicious payloads that can be executed with root privileges on the underlying operating system. The attack requires valid administrator credentials, which means the vulnerability is not entirely unauthenticated, but rather represents a privilege escalation or lateral movement vector within the network.
From an operational impact perspective, the consequences of exploitation are severe and multifaceted. Successful exploitation enables attackers to execute arbitrary code as the root user, effectively providing them with complete control over the router's operations and underlying system. This level of access allows for network reconnaissance, traffic interception, and potential lateral movement to other network segments. The ability to cause unexpected device restarts creates additional disruption through denial of service conditions that can interrupt network connectivity for extended periods. The combination of code execution and DoS capabilities makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous for small business networks where router reliability is crucial for business operations.
The absence of official software updates from Cisco significantly compounds the risk associated with this vulnerability. Organizations with affected devices face a critical security gap where no vendor-provided remediation exists, forcing them to rely on alternative mitigation strategies. Network administrators should implement additional security controls including network segmentation, access control restrictions, and monitoring for unusual administrative activities. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current security patches and the risks associated with legacy equipment that may no longer receive vendor support. Organizations should consider upgrading to newer router models that have received security updates and proper input validation mechanisms to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the future.