CVE-2021-1329 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-2021-1329 represents a critical security flaw affecting Cisco Small Business routers including models RV016 RV042 RV042G RV082 RV320 and RV325. These devices operate within small business environments where network security is paramount and the attack surface is often limited by the device's management interface. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the web-based management interface, creating a pathway for authenticated remote code execution and denial of service conditions. This flaw directly impacts the integrity and availability of network infrastructure, particularly in environments where these routers serve as primary gateways for business operations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through improper validation of user-supplied input within the web interface components of these routers. When an authenticated attacker sends specially crafted HTTP requests to the affected device, the system fails to properly sanitize or validate the input parameters, allowing malicious data to be processed by the underlying operating system. This weakness aligns with CWE-20 which describes improper input validation as a fundamental security flaw that can lead to various attack vectors including code execution and system compromise. The vulnerability specifically targets the authentication mechanisms and input handling routines that process administrative commands through the web interface, making it particularly dangerous as it requires only valid administrator credentials to exploit.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution capabilities to include potential system instability and service disruption. An attacker with valid administrative credentials could leverage these vulnerabilities to execute arbitrary code with root privileges, effectively gaining complete control over the router's operating system. This level of access allows for persistent backdoor establishment network reconnaissance, traffic interception, and potential lateral movement within the network. Additionally the ability to cause unexpected device restarts creates a denial of service condition that could disrupt business operations, particularly in environments where network availability is critical. The combination of remote code execution and DoS capabilities makes this vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to compromise small business networks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-1329 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from Cisco, as the vendor has released security updates addressing these specific validation flaws. Network administrators should implement strict access controls limiting administrative privileges to only essential personnel and establish robust monitoring of authentication attempts and web interface access patterns. The principle of least privilege should be enforced through the use of non-administrator accounts for routine operations and the implementation of multi-factor authentication where possible. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to restrict access to the router management interfaces from trusted networks only. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems capable of identifying suspicious HTTP request patterns and anomalous behavior in router management sessions. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter indicates that attackers may attempt to establish persistent access through command execution capabilities, making continuous monitoring essential for early detection of exploitation attempts.