CVE-2021-1307 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 vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-1307 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 business environments where network security is paramount, yet they remain susceptible to sophisticated attacks that exploit fundamental input validation flaws. The vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied data within the web management portal, creating pathways for malicious actors to manipulate the system's behavior through carefully crafted HTTP requests. This flaw represents a classic example of insecure input handling that violates fundamental security principles and can be categorized under CWE-20, which addresses "Improper Input Validation" in software systems. The attack vector requires an authenticated session, meaning that an attacker must first obtain valid administrator credentials to exploit the vulnerability, but once achieved, the consequences can be severe.
The technical exploitation of CVE-2021-1307 enables attackers to achieve privilege escalation to the root user level on the underlying operating system, providing complete control over the affected device. This root-level access allows for arbitrary code execution, enabling attackers to install malicious software, modify network configurations, or establish persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure. The potential for system reload or unexpected device restarts creates additional attack vectors that can be leveraged for denial of service conditions, disrupting business operations and potentially masking other malicious activities. The exploitation mechanism relies on sending crafted HTTP requests that bypass normal input validation checks, allowing malicious payloads to be processed by the router's web server component. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" and T1068 for "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" when considering the broader attack framework implications.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-1307 extends beyond simple system compromise, as these routers often serve as critical network gateways for small businesses, making their compromise particularly damaging. Network administrators may experience unauthorized access to their entire network infrastructure, potentially leading to data breaches, man-in-the-middle attacks, or the use of compromised devices as launching points for attacks against other systems. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple router models indicates a systemic issue within Cisco's development practices for these particular device families, suggesting that similar flaws may exist in other components of the same product lines. Organizations relying on these devices for network security face significant risk, as the compromised routers could become part of botnet formations or be used to conduct reconnaissance activities against internal networks. The lack of official software updates from Cisco for this vulnerability compounds the risk, leaving affected organizations with limited remediation options and forcing them to rely on workarounds or network segmentation to protect their environments.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate affected routers from critical systems, enforcing strict access controls for web management interfaces, and monitoring network traffic for suspicious HTTP requests that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider disabling web management interfaces entirely and using command-line interfaces or dedicated management tools instead. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date firmware and the dangers of relying on outdated software in network infrastructure components. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify other potential weaknesses in their network infrastructure and establish robust monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized access attempts to network management interfaces. These measures align with NIST SP 800-53 security controls and the CIS Controls framework, particularly focusing on secure configuration management and access control implementation to prevent unauthorized system access and maintain network integrity.