CVE-2021-33554 in Camera
Summary
by MITRE • 09/14/2021
Multiple camera devices by UDP Technology, Geutebrück and other vendors are vulnerable to command injection, which may allow an attacker to remotely execute arbitrary code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/16/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-33554 represents a critical command injection flaw affecting multiple camera device models from UDP Technology, Geutebruck, and other vendors within the surveillance industry. This security weakness stems from improper input validation mechanisms within the network services of these devices, specifically within their web-based management interfaces and API endpoints. The flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to inject malicious commands that are subsequently executed by the device's underlying operating system, creating a severe remote code execution vector that can be exploited from outside the network perimeter.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the improper sanitization of user-supplied input parameters that are directly passed to system commands without adequate filtering or encoding. When legitimate administrative functions are processed through web interfaces or API calls, the devices fail to properly validate or escape input data, enabling attackers to append malicious commands that are interpreted and executed by the device's shell. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-77 which categorizes command injection flaws as a critical weakness in software applications where user-controllable data is passed to system commands without proper validation. The exploitation typically involves crafting malicious HTTP requests or API calls that contain specially formatted payloads designed to bypass input validation and execute arbitrary system commands on the target device.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-33554 extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with complete control over the affected surveillance devices. Once successfully exploited, adversaries can gain persistent access to the device's file system, modify configuration settings, extract stored credentials, and potentially use the compromised cameras as pivoting points to attack other systems within the same network. The implications are particularly severe for security infrastructure deployments where these devices are used for monitoring sensitive facilities, as attackers could disable security features, alter video feeds, or establish backdoors for future access. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, and T1078.004 for Valid Accounts, as exploitation can lead to credential theft and persistent access to network resources.
Organizations deploying affected camera models must immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to protect their security infrastructure. The primary recommendation involves applying vendor-provided firmware updates and patches that address the input validation flaws in the affected devices. Network segmentation should be implemented to isolate these devices from critical network segments, while strict firewall rules should be enforced to limit access to device management ports and services. Additionally, network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, including unusual command execution patterns or unauthorized access attempts to device management interfaces. Security teams should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their entire surveillance infrastructure to identify any other devices that may be running similar vulnerable software versions, as the exploitation of one device can provide attackers with intelligence to target other similar systems within the organization.