CVE-2021-1294 in RV160
Summary
by MITRE • 02/05/2021
Multiple vulnerabilities in the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV160, RV160W, RV260, RV260P, and RV260W VPN Routers could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary code as the root user on an affected device. These vulnerabilities exist because HTTP requests are not properly validated. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by sending a crafted HTTP request to the web-based management interface of an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to remotely execute arbitrary code on the device.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2021
The CVE-2021-1294 vulnerability represents a critical remote code execution flaw affecting Cisco Small Business VPN routers including RV160, RV160W, RV260, RV260P, and RV260W models. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the web-based management interface, creating a pathway for unauthenticated remote attackers to gain full administrative control over affected devices. The flaw exists specifically in how the system processes HTTP requests, failing to properly validate incoming data before processing, which creates an exploitable condition that can be leveraged without requiring any authentication credentials.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of HTTP requests sent to the device's web interface. When an attacker crafts and submits a specially designed HTTP request, the vulnerable router fails to validate the request parameters properly, allowing malicious code execution at the root user level. This represents a severe security weakness that bypasses normal authentication mechanisms and grants attackers complete control over the affected network devices. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it provides full system compromise capabilities, enabling attackers to modify configurations, access network traffic, and potentially use the compromised devices as launching points for further attacks within the network.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to small business networks that rely on these routers for their connectivity and security infrastructure. The unauthenticated nature of the exploit means that attackers can compromise devices without requiring any prior access or credentials, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that may not have robust network monitoring in place. The affected devices are commonly deployed in small office environments where network security awareness may be limited, increasing the likelihood of successful exploitation. The root-level execution capability allows attackers to completely subvert the device's intended functionality, potentially leading to data exfiltration, network disruption, or use as a pivot point for attacking internal systems.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability by applying the latest Cisco security patches and updates to all affected devices. Network administrators should also implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability allows for remote code execution without authentication. The flaw aligns with CWE-20, which addresses improper input validation, and represents a common attack pattern that maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1059 for command and script injection and T1071 for application layer protocol usage. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and input validation in network device firmware, as proper HTTP request validation would have prevented the exploitation pathway. Organizations should also consider implementing network access controls and firewall rules to restrict access to the web management interfaces of these devices, particularly when they are exposed to untrusted networks.