CVE-2021-45557 in GC108P
Summary
by MITRE • 12/26/2021
Certain NETGEAR devices are affected by command injection by an authenticated user. This affects GC108P before 1.0.8.2, GC108PP before 1.0.8.2, GS108Tv3 before 7.0.7.2, GS110TPv3 before 7.0.7.2, GS110TPP before 7.0.7.2, GS110TUP before 1.0.5.3, GS710TUP before 1.0.5.3, GS308T before 1.0.3.2, GS310TP before 1.0.3.2, GS710TUP before 1.0.5.3, GS716TP before 1.0.4.2, GS716TPP before 1.0.4.2, GS724TPP before 2.0.6.3, GS724TPv2 before 2.0.6.3, GS724TPP before 2.0.6.3, GS728TPPv2 before 6.0.8.2, GS728TPv2 before 6.0.8.2, GS752TPv2 before 6.0.8.2, GS752TPP before 6.0.8.2, GS750E before 1.0.1.10, MS510TXM before 1.0.4.2, and MS510TXUP before 1.0.4.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2021
This vulnerability represents a critical command injection flaw in NETGEAR network devices that allows authenticated users to execute arbitrary commands on affected systems. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the web-based management interfaces of these devices, creating an avenue for malicious actors who have already gained legitimate access to escalate their privileges and compromise the entire network infrastructure. The affected devices span multiple product lines including switches, routers, and network management appliances, indicating a widespread issue that affects both enterprise and small business network deployments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the improper handling of user-supplied parameters within the device's web interface, specifically in the configuration and management functions. When an authenticated user submits crafted input through web forms or API endpoints, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize the input before processing it within the system shell. This allows attackers to inject malicious commands that are then executed with the privileges of the web server process, typically running with administrative privileges on the device. The vulnerability manifests across multiple device models and firmware versions, suggesting that the underlying code flaw exists in the core web application framework rather than being isolated to specific components.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to network security and business continuity. An attacker who gains initial access through legitimate credentials can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary commands, potentially leading to complete device compromise, data exfiltration, or use of the device as a pivot point for attacking other systems within the network. The impact extends beyond individual device compromise as these network devices often serve as critical infrastructure components that control network traffic flow, authentication, and access policies. The vulnerability's presence in multiple product lines suggests that organizations may have widespread exposure across their network infrastructure, making it particularly dangerous for large deployments.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-88 within the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, specifically addressing command injection flaws that occur when untrusted data is incorporated into system commands without proper validation or sanitization. This categorization places the vulnerability within the broader context of the OWASP Top Ten security risks, specifically addressing injection flaws that can lead to arbitrary code execution. From an MITRE ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques such as command and scripting interpreter for execution and privilege escalation, allowing attackers to move laterally within the network and maintain persistent access to compromised devices.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including firmware updates from NETGEAR that address the command injection vulnerability, along with network segmentation to limit the potential impact of compromised devices. Additional protective measures include implementing strict access controls, monitoring for unusual command execution patterns, and conducting comprehensive network audits to identify all affected devices. Network administrators should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can detect anomalous command execution patterns and establish network monitoring protocols to identify potential exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to ensure that all network infrastructure components remain protected against similar vulnerabilities.