CVE-2021-1213 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 • 02/14/2021
The CVE-2021-1213 vulnerabilities affect Cisco Small Business routers including RV110W, RV130, RV130W, and RV215W models, representing a critical security flaw in their web-based management interfaces. These devices are commonly deployed in small business environments where they serve as network gateways and security appliances. The vulnerabilities stem from insufficient input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing within the device's web management interface. This type of flaw falls under the CWE-20 category, which specifically addresses "Improper Input Validation" and represents a fundamental weakness in software security design that allows malicious input to bypass security controls.
The technical exploitation of these vulnerabilities requires an attacker to possess valid administrator credentials, establishing a privileged attack vector that demonstrates the importance of credential security in network infrastructure. Attackers can craft malicious HTTP requests that leverage the improper input validation to execute arbitrary code with root privileges on the underlying operating system. This privilege escalation capability allows for complete compromise of the affected device, potentially enabling attackers to modify network configurations, intercept traffic, or establish persistent access points within the network. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond code execution to include denial of service conditions through device reloads, which can disrupt network operations and potentially cause cascading failures in small business environments that depend heavily on continuous network availability.
From an operational perspective, these vulnerabilities pose significant risks to small business networks that rely on these routers for basic connectivity and security functions. The combination of remote code execution capabilities and denial of service potential creates a dangerous attack surface that could be exploited by both sophisticated threat actors and automated malware. The lack of available software updates from Cisco for these specific vulnerabilities means that affected organizations have no official remediation path, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation. This situation aligns with ATT&CK framework techniques such as T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1498 for network denial of service, as attackers could leverage these vulnerabilities to compromise network infrastructure and disrupt business operations.
Organizations affected by these vulnerabilities should implement immediate compensating controls including network segmentation to limit access to these devices, strict firewall rules restricting management interface access to trusted IP addresses, and enhanced monitoring for unusual network activity or device behavior. The absence of official patches underscores the need for alternative security measures such as network access control, regular security assessments, and potentially replacing affected hardware with newer models that have received security updates. Security professionals should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems specifically configured to detect patterns associated with exploitation attempts against web management interfaces, as these devices often lack robust logging capabilities that would normally aid in incident response activities.