CVE-2021-41872 in Penguin Aurora Box 41502
Summary
by MITRE • 10/27/2021
Skyworth Digital Technology Penguin Aurora Box 41502 has a denial of service vulnerability, which can be exploited by attackers to cause a denial of service.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/01/2021
The CVE-2021-41872 vulnerability affects the Skyworth Digital Technology Penguin Aurora Box 41502, a set-top box device commonly used for television and media streaming services. This device operates as a network-connected entertainment system that processes multimedia content and provides access to various online services through its embedded operating system and network protocols. The vulnerability represents a significant security concern as it allows unauthorized actors to disrupt the normal operation of the device, potentially affecting millions of end users who rely on this equipment for their television and internet services.
The technical flaw within the Penguin Aurora Box 41502 stems from inadequate input validation and error handling mechanisms within its network services or firmware components. Attackers can exploit this weakness by sending specially crafted malformed network packets or commands to the device's network interfaces, causing the system to enter an unstable state or crash entirely. The vulnerability likely resides in the device's web server implementation, network protocol handlers, or service management components that fail to properly sanitize incoming data or handle exceptional conditions. This type of vulnerability typically falls under CWE-129, which represents improper validation of input boundaries, or CWE-20, representing input validation issues that can lead to system instability and denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple device disruption as it can affect the broader network infrastructure and user experience within homes or commercial environments. When exploited, the denial of service condition can render the entire set-top box inoperable, forcing users to manually restart the device or potentially requiring professional intervention for repair. In commercial settings where multiple devices are deployed, this vulnerability could lead to cascading failures affecting numerous users simultaneously. The attack surface is particularly concerning as the device typically operates continuously and is often accessible through both local network connections and potentially remote management interfaces, providing multiple attack vectors for exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-41872 should focus on immediate firmware updates from Skyworth Digital Technology, which would address the underlying input validation and error handling deficiencies. Network administrators should implement firewall rules to restrict unnecessary access to the device's network services and consider network segmentation to limit the potential impact of exploitation. Additionally, monitoring systems should be deployed to detect unusual network traffic patterns or service disruptions that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and represents a critical weakness in IoT device security that underscores the importance of secure development practices and regular security assessments for embedded systems. Organizations should also consider implementing device inventory tracking and regular security scanning to identify potentially vulnerable devices within their networks and ensure timely remediation of such vulnerabilities.