CVE-2021-44378 in RLC-410W
Summary
by MITRE • 01/29/2022
A denial of service vulnerability exists in the cgiserver.cgi JSON command parser functionality of reolink RLC-410W v3.0.0.136_20121102. A specially-crafted HTTP request can lead to a reboot. SetEnc param is not object. An attacker can send an HTTP request to trigger this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-44378 represents a critical denial of service condition affecting the reolink RLC-410W security camera device running firmware version 3.0.0.136_20121102. This issue resides within the cgiserver.cgi component which processes JSON commands, specifically targeting the SetEnc parameter handling mechanism. The flaw manifests when the system receives an HTTP request containing malformed JSON data where the SetEnc parameter is not properly structured as an object, creating a parsing anomaly that results in system instability.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the JSON parser implementation. When the cgiserver.cgi component encounters a malformed SetEnc parameter that fails to conform to expected object structure, the system's command processing logic becomes overwhelmed and subsequently reboots the device. This behavior aligns with CWE-20, which categorizes improper input validation as a fundamental weakness in software security design. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically impacts the device's web server functionality, making it particularly dangerous for security monitoring systems that rely on continuous operation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to network security infrastructure as it allows remote attackers to disrupt service availability through simple HTTP requests. The reboot condition effectively renders the security camera inoperative until manual intervention occurs, potentially leaving monitored areas unprotected during the device restart period. The attack vector requires no authentication and can be executed remotely, making it particularly concerning for IoT security deployments where devices may be located in physically inaccessible areas. This vulnerability directly maps to attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1499.004 for Network Denial of Service and T1566.001 for Valid Accounts as the attack can be performed without requiring compromised credentials.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate firmware updates from reolink to address the parsing flaw and implement network segmentation to limit exposure of these devices to untrusted networks. Network administrators should consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for anomalous HTTP request patterns targeting the affected device and establish regular firmware update schedules to prevent similar vulnerabilities from persisting. The vulnerability underscores the importance of robust input validation and proper error handling in embedded systems, particularly those handling JSON data structures in security-critical applications. Organizations should also conduct vulnerability assessments to identify similar parsing flaws in other networked devices and establish security monitoring protocols to detect unauthorized device reboots that could indicate exploitation attempts.