CVE-2021-1326 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-2021-1326 represents a critical security flaw affecting multiple Cisco Small Business routers including the RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, and RV325 models. This issue stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the web-based management interface, creating a pathway for authenticated remote attackers to compromise the affected devices. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it enables attackers with valid administrator credentials to execute arbitrary code with root privileges or induce unauthorized device reboots, effectively creating a denial of service condition that disrupts network operations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through improper validation of user-supplied input in the web interface components. When an attacker crafts malicious HTTP requests and submits them to the affected router's management interface, the system fails to properly sanitize or validate the input parameters. This input validation failure allows malicious payloads to be processed by the underlying operating system, potentially executing commands with the highest level of system privileges. The vulnerability specifically targets the web-based management interface, which serves as the primary administrative access point for these devices, making it a prime target for exploitation attempts.
From an operational perspective, the impact of CVE-2021-1326 extends beyond simple system compromise to include significant business disruption and potential data exposure. The ability to execute arbitrary code as root user provides attackers with complete control over the router's functionality, enabling them to modify network configurations, redirect traffic, or establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. The denial of service component of this vulnerability can result in complete network outages, affecting business continuity and potentially exposing sensitive network communications to interception or manipulation. Organizations relying on these routers for network security and access control face substantial risk of unauthorized network penetration and data compromise.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest firmware updates provided by Cisco to address the input validation flaws. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit administrative access to only authorized personnel, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual HTTP request patterns or unauthorized management access attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and scripting interpreter, as well as T1499 for endpoint denial of service. Organizations should also consider implementing network access control lists to restrict access to the web management interfaces and establish robust credential management policies to minimize the risk of unauthorized access to administrative accounts.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires authentication, which means that organizations with strong credential policies and regular access reviews are less vulnerable to compromise. However, the potential for privilege escalation and system control makes this a critical vulnerability requiring immediate attention. Network administrators should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all affected devices within their environments and establish monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be performed to validate the effectiveness of implemented mitigations and ensure that no additional attack vectors remain unaddressed.