CVE-2021-1315 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-2021-1315 represents a critical command injection flaw affecting Cisco Small Business routers including models RV016 RV042 RV042G RV082 RV320 and RV325. This vulnerability resides within the web-based management interface of these devices and constitutes a serious security risk due to its ability to permit authenticated remote code execution with root privileges. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing within the router's operating system. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can craft malicious HTTP requests that bypass normal security controls and directly execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system with the highest possible privileges.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-94 which specifically address command injection and code injection flaws in software systems. These weaknesses allow attackers to inject malicious code that gets executed in the context of the targeted application or operating system. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1059.001 which describes command and scripting interpreter techniques, and T1068 which covers exploit for privilege escalation. The vulnerability's exploitation requires an attacker to possess valid administrator credentials, making it a privilege escalation issue rather than a simple remote access vulnerability. However, once authenticated, the attacker can leverage this flaw to gain complete control over the device's operating system and potentially use it as a foothold for further network infiltration.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-1315 is severe for organizations relying on these Cisco routers for network security. Successful exploitation allows attackers to execute arbitrary code with root privileges, enabling them to modify router configurations, establish persistent backdoors, steal sensitive network data, or use the compromised device as a launching point for attacks against other network segments. The vulnerability affects multiple router models across different product lines, suggesting a systemic design flaw that impacts a significant portion of Cisco's small business routing portfolio. Organizations with these affected devices face potential exposure to advanced persistent threats where attackers can maintain long-term access to network infrastructure while remaining undetected by standard security monitoring systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-1315 should focus on immediate credential hardening and network segmentation measures. Organizations must ensure that administrator credentials are properly secured with strong authentication mechanisms including multi-factor authentication where possible. Network segmentation should isolate these routers from critical internal systems and implement strict access controls limiting administrative access to only necessary personnel. Cisco has released security advisories and firmware updates addressing this vulnerability, which organizations should deploy immediately upon verification of affected devices. Additional defensive measures include implementing network monitoring to detect unusual HTTP traffic patterns and establishing regular security audits to identify unauthorized administrative access attempts. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all network infrastructure components to prevent similar exploitation scenarios.