CVE-2021-1320 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 CVE-2021-1320 vulnerability affects Cisco Small Business routers including RV016 RV042 RV042G RV082 RV320 and RV325 models presenting a critical security risk through improper input validation in their web-based management interfaces. This vulnerability represents a classic command injection flaw that enables authenticated remote code execution with root privileges. The flaw stems from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input within the web management portal which allows attackers to manipulate HTTP request parameters and inject malicious commands that execute with the highest system privileges available. According to CWE-77 and CWE-78 categories this vulnerability manifests as a command injection weakness where user-controllable data is directly incorporated into system commands without proper validation or escaping mechanisms. The attack vector requires an authenticated session with administrator credentials making this a privilege escalation vulnerability that can be exploited by attackers who have already gained administrative access to the device.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution to include potential system instability and denial of service conditions. When successfully exploited the vulnerability allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges on the underlying operating system, effectively providing complete control over the router's functionality. The ability to cause unexpected device restarts introduces additional risks including potential service disruption and network availability issues. The exploitation process involves crafting specially formatted HTTP requests that bypass input validation checks and inject malicious payloads into the system's command processing pipeline. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, demonstrating how an authenticated attacker can leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized control over network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-1320 should prioritize immediate firmware updates from Cisco addressing the specific input validation issues in the web management interfaces. Network administrators must ensure that all affected devices receive the latest security patches and that default credentials are changed to prevent unauthorized access. The implementation of network segmentation and access controls can help limit the potential impact of exploitation by restricting direct access to router management interfaces from untrusted networks. Additional defensive measures include monitoring for suspicious HTTP request patterns and implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious input attempts. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments of their network infrastructure to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other network devices. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and input validation in network management interfaces, emphasizing that even authenticated access points can represent significant security risks when proper validation mechanisms are absent. Proper network hygiene including regular patch management and credential rotation remains essential for protecting against this and similar vulnerabilities in network infrastructure components.