CVE-2021-45539 in R7900P
Summary
by MITRE • 12/26/2021
Certain NETGEAR devices are affected by command injection by an authenticated user. This affects R7900P before 1.4.2.84, R7960P before 1.4.2.84, R8000 before 1.0.4.74, R8000P before 1.4.2.84, MR60 before 1.0.6.110, RAX20 before 1.0.2.82, RAX45 before 1.0.2.28, RAX80 before 1.0.3.106, MS60 before 1.0.6.110, RAX15 before 1.0.2.82, RAX50 before 1.0.2.28, and RAX75 before 1.0.3.106.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2021
This vulnerability represents a critical command injection flaw in NETGEAR networking equipment that allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands on affected devices. The issue stems from insufficient input validation within the web interface of multiple router models, creating a pathway for malicious actors who have already gained access to legitimate user credentials to escalate their privileges and compromise the entire network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects a broad range of devices including high-end routers like the R7900P, R7960P, and R8000 series, as well as various wireless access points and mesh networking components. According to the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, this vulnerability maps to CWE-77, which specifically addresses command injection flaws in software applications that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied input before executing system commands.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs within the device's web administration interface where user input is improperly validated and directly passed to system commands without adequate sanitization measures. When an authenticated user submits malicious input through web forms or API endpoints, the system processes these inputs without proper escaping or validation, allowing attackers to inject operating system commands that execute with the privileges of the web server process. This creates a significant risk as the web server typically runs with elevated privileges necessary for network management functions, potentially enabling full system compromise including the ability to modify network configurations, access sensitive data, or establish persistent backdoors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with complete control over the affected network infrastructure. Once exploited, an attacker can manipulate routing tables, disable network services, modify firewall rules, and potentially gain access to all devices connected to the compromised network. The vulnerability affects multiple generations of NETGEAR products, indicating a systemic flaw in the development process that requires immediate attention across the entire product portfolio. From an adversary perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary code on target systems while maintaining persistence through the compromised network devices.
Network security teams should prioritize immediate remediation of affected devices through firmware updates provided by NETGEAR, as the vulnerability exists in multiple firmware versions across different product lines. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit the potential blast radius of such an attack, ensuring that even if one device is compromised, the attacker cannot easily move laterally through the network. Additional mitigations include monitoring for unusual network traffic patterns, implementing strict access controls for network management interfaces, and regularly auditing user accounts for unauthorized access. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and input validation in network infrastructure devices, as the flaw could be easily prevented through proper implementation of parameter sanitization and command execution controls.