CVE-2021-45544 in R7850
Summary
by MITRE • 12/26/2021
Certain NETGEAR devices are affected by command injection by an authenticated user. This affects R7850 before 1.0.5.74, R7900P before 1.4.2.84, R7960P before 1.4.2.84, R8000 before 1.0.4.74, R8000P before 1.4.2.84, RAX200 before 1.0.4.120, RAX75 before 1.0.4.120, RAX80 before 1.0.4.120, RBK852 before 3.2.17.12, RBR850 before 3.2.17.12, and RBS850 before 3.2.17.12.
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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 users to execute arbitrary commands on affected devices. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the device's web interface, specifically in the handling of user-supplied parameters that are subsequently passed to system commands without proper escaping or filtering mechanisms. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-77 category, which specifically addresses command injection flaws where untrusted data is incorporated into command execution contexts. The affected models span multiple device families including routers and wireless access points, indicating a widespread issue within NETGEAR's product line that requires immediate attention from network administrators.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an authenticated user submits malicious input through the web management interface, typically through form fields or URL parameters that are not properly validated. The compromised devices process these inputs directly without adequate sanitization, allowing attackers to inject operating system commands that execute with the privileges of the web server process. This creates a significant attack surface where an authenticated user could potentially gain full control over the device's functionality, access network traffic, modify device configurations, or even establish persistent backdoors. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it does not require special privileges beyond standard user authentication, making it accessible to anyone with legitimate access credentials to the device.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can lead to complete device compromise and potential network infiltration. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to redirect network traffic, disable security features, or use the compromised devices as stepping stones for lateral movement within the network. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to multiple techniques including T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation. The affected device models represent a significant portion of NETGEAR's consumer and enterprise product portfolio, meaning that organizations with these devices in their network infrastructure face substantial risk. Network administrators must consider that these compromised devices could serve as persistent threats within their network environment, potentially allowing attackers to maintain long-term access to critical network resources.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate firmware updates from NETGEAR to address the identified vulnerability, as these releases contain proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms to prevent command injection attacks. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit the potential impact of device compromise and monitor network traffic for suspicious command execution patterns. Additional defensive measures include disabling unnecessary web management interfaces, implementing strong access controls, and conducting regular security assessments of network infrastructure. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation in web applications and demonstrates how seemingly minor implementation flaws can result in severe security implications. Security teams should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous command execution patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, as the affected devices may not provide adequate logging or alerting capabilities for such attacks.