CVE-2021-1314 in RV016
Summary
by MITRE • 02/05/2021
Multiple vulnerabilities in the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, and RV325 Routers could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to inject arbitrary commands that are executed with root privileges. These 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 a targeted device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code as the root user on the underlying operating system. To exploit these vulnerabilities, an attacker would need to have valid administrator credentials on an affected device.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-1314 affects Cisco Small Business routers including models RV016 RV042 RV042G RV082 RV320 and RV325. These devices operate with web-based management interfaces that serve as the primary point of administrative access for network configuration and monitoring. The affected models represent a significant portion of Cisco's small business routing solutions that are widely deployed in enterprise environments and small office settings where network security is paramount.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the web-based management interface of these routers. This weakness falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-20 which specifically addresses improper input validation. The vulnerability exists in how the system processes user-supplied data through HTTP requests sent to the device's management interface. When administrators submit configuration changes or perform management tasks through the web interface, the system fails to properly sanitize or validate the input parameters before processing them.
Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting specially designed HTTP requests that contain malicious command injection payloads. The exploitation requires an authenticated session with valid administrator credentials, meaning that unauthorized access to the management interface is not sufficient to trigger the vulnerability. However, once credentials are compromised or obtained through social engineering phishing attacks or credential stuffing techniques, the attacker can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges on the underlying operating system. This represents a critical privilege escalation vulnerability that transforms administrative access into full system compromise.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-1314 is severe and far-reaching for organizations utilizing affected Cisco routers. Successful exploitation allows attackers to gain complete control over the network infrastructure, potentially enabling them to modify routing tables, intercept network traffic, establish persistence mechanisms, and create backdoor access points. The root-level execution capability means that attackers can modify system files, install malware, disable security features, and manipulate network traffic in ways that could go undetected for extended periods. This vulnerability particularly affects the attack surface defined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059.001 technique for Command and Scripting Interpreter, where adversaries execute commands through legitimate system interfaces.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches from Cisco that address the input validation flaws in the web management interfaces. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit administrative access to only trusted personnel with valid credentials. Regular security audits should verify that administrative interfaces are not exposed to untrusted networks and that proper authentication controls are in place. Additionally, monitoring for unusual HTTP request patterns and command execution attempts on network devices can help detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in web applications and the potential for command injection attacks to escalate to full system compromise when proper sanitization controls are absent.