CVE-2021-1319 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 execute arbitrary code or cause an affected device to restart unexpectedly. 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 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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-1319 represents a critical security flaw affecting multiple Cisco Small Business routers including the RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, and RV325 models. This issue resides within the web-based management interface of these devices, creating a pathway for authenticated remote attackers to gain elevated privileges and execute arbitrary code on the underlying operating system. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data, allowing maliciously crafted HTTP requests to be processed without adequate security checks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to possess valid administrator credentials for the affected device, establishing a baseline authentication requirement that limits the attack surface but does not eliminate the risk entirely. When an attacker successfully crafts and submits malicious HTTP requests through the web interface, the improper input validation allows the system to process these requests as if they were legitimate administrative commands. This flaw enables the execution of arbitrary code with root privileges, effectively granting complete control over the device's operating system and its underlying network functionality.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution to include potential denial of service conditions through device reboots. A successful exploit can cause the affected router to reload unexpectedly, disrupting network connectivity for all connected devices and potentially creating service interruptions that could affect business operations. The combination of arbitrary code execution and denial of service capabilities makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous in network environments where these routers serve as critical infrastructure components. Network administrators may face challenges in detecting exploitation attempts since legitimate administrative activities could mask malicious behavior.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in relation to CWE-20, which describes "Improper Input Validation" as a fundamental weakness that allows attackers to manipulate input data in ways that can lead to various security consequences including code execution and privilege escalation. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK techniques such as T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript' and T1566.001 for 'Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment' when considering how attackers might gain initial access through social engineering to obtain administrative credentials. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including restricting administrative access to these devices through network segmentation, enforcing strong authentication controls, and applying available security patches from Cisco. Regular monitoring of network traffic for suspicious HTTP request patterns and implementing network access controls to limit administrative access to trusted IP addresses can help reduce the risk of exploitation.