CVE-2021-1201 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 CVE-2021-1201 vulnerability affects Cisco Small Business routers including RV110W, RV130, RV130W, and RV215W models, representing a critical security flaw in their web-based management interfaces. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data, creating a pathway for malicious exploitation. The affected devices operate on embedded operating systems that are particularly susceptible to code execution attacks when faced with malformed input sequences. The vulnerability specifically targets the authentication and input processing components of the web interface, which serve as primary attack vectors for remote exploitation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through improper validation of HTTP request parameters within the router's web management interface. When an authenticated attacker submits crafted HTTP requests containing malicious input sequences, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize these inputs before processing them. This weakness allows for arbitrary code execution with root privileges on the underlying operating system, effectively granting attackers complete control over the affected device. The vulnerability's exploitation requires valid administrator credentials, which aligns with the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques and represents a significant concern for network security posture. The lack of input sanitization creates a direct path for command injection attacks that bypass normal security controls.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-1201 extends beyond simple code execution to include potential denial of service conditions that can disrupt network operations. When successfully exploited, the vulnerability can cause the affected device to reload unexpectedly, leading to service interruption for connected network users. This DoS capability combined with the arbitrary code execution potential creates a dual threat that can compromise both availability and confidentiality of network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects enterprise and small business networks that rely on these routers for internet connectivity, potentially allowing attackers to gain persistent access to critical network segments. The absence of official software updates from Cisco for these devices leaves organizations vulnerable to exploitation without immediate remediation options.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate affected devices, enhanced monitoring of HTTP traffic for suspicious patterns, and implementation of network access controls to limit administrative access. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation as a fundamental weakness in software security design. Security teams should deploy intrusion detection systems capable of identifying crafted HTTP requests that match known exploitation patterns, while also implementing least privilege access controls for administrative accounts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify potentially affected devices, and network administrators should consider disabling unnecessary web management interfaces to reduce attack surface. The lack of vendor patches for this vulnerability necessitates proactive defensive measures including network monitoring, access control hardening, and implementation of alternative management protocols that do not expose the vulnerable web interface to external networks.