CVE-2021-34735 in ATA 190
Summary
by MITRE • 10/07/2021
Multiple vulnerabilities in the Cisco ATA 190 Series Analog Telephone Adapter Software could allow an attacker to perform a command injection attack resulting in remote code execution or cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. For more information about these vulnerabilities, see the Details section of this advisory.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/09/2021
The Cisco ATA 190 Series Analog Telephone Adapter represents a critical network infrastructure device that bridges traditional analog telephone systems with modern IP-based communications networks. These devices serve as essential components in enterprise and commercial voice communication environments, making their security paramount to overall network integrity. The vulnerabilities identified in this advisory specifically target the software implementation of these adapters, creating potential attack vectors that could compromise the entire communication infrastructure they support. The affected devices operate within environments where they handle sensitive voice communications and may interface with critical business systems, amplifying the potential impact of successful exploitation.
The technical flaw manifests through command injection vulnerabilities within the device software that processes user inputs and configuration parameters. Attackers can exploit these weaknesses by crafting malicious inputs that are subsequently executed as system commands without proper sanitization or validation. This type of vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-77, which specifically addresses command injection flaws where untrusted data is incorporated into command execution contexts. The injection occurs during the processing of configuration parameters or user inputs that should be properly validated and escaped before being processed by underlying system commands. The vulnerability exists because the software fails to adequately filter or escape special characters that could alter the intended execution flow of system commands, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary commands that execute with the privileges of the affected service.
The operational impact of these vulnerabilities extends beyond simple remote code execution to include potential denial of service conditions that could disrupt critical communication services. When an attacker successfully executes commands on the device, they gain the ability to manipulate the underlying operating system, potentially installing malicious software, modifying configuration files, or accessing sensitive communication data. The denial of service aspect could result in complete communication outages for organizations relying on these adapters, affecting business continuity and emergency communication systems. Organizations using these devices may experience unauthorized access to voice communication channels, data exfiltration, or complete service disruption that could last for extended periods. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that these devices often operate in environments with limited network segmentation, making them attractive targets for lateral movement within corporate networks.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate software updates from Cisco to address the identified command injection vulnerabilities, following the vendor's security advisory recommendations. Network administrators should implement strict input validation controls and consider network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. The implementation of intrusion detection systems and monitoring solutions can help identify suspicious command execution patterns or unusual network activity that may indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their entire network infrastructure to identify similar vulnerabilities in other devices that may be susceptible to command injection attacks. Access controls should be strengthened through proper authentication mechanisms and privilege separation to limit the potential impact of compromised devices. Additionally, regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities across the network infrastructure. The ATT&CK framework categorizes these vulnerabilities under the T1059 technique for command and scripting interpreter, specifically targeting the execution of malicious commands through vulnerable input handling mechanisms.