CVE-2021-45612 in CBR40
Summary
by MITRE • 12/26/2021
Certain NETGEAR devices are affected by command injection by an unauthenticated attacker. This affects CBR40 before 2.5.0.24, CBR750 before 4.6.3.6, EAX20 before 1.0.0.58, EAX80 before 1.0.1.68, EX7500 before 1.0.0.74, LAX20 before 1.1.6.28, MK62 before 1.0.6.116, MR60 before 1.0.6.116, MS60 before 1.0.6.116, R6400v2 before 1.0.4.118, R6700v3 before 1.0.4.118, R6900P before 1.3.3.140, R7000 before 1.0.11.126, R7000P before 1.3.3.140, R7850 before 1.0.5.74, R7900 before 1.0.4.46, R7900P before 1.4.2.84, R7960P before 1.4.2.84, R8000 before 1.0.4.74, R8000P before 1.4.2.84, RAX15 before 1.0.3.96, RAX20 before 1.0.3.96, RAX200 before 1.0.4.120, RAX35v2 before 1.0.3.96, RAX40v2 before 1.0.3.96, RAX43 before 1.0.3.96, RAX45 before 1.0.3.96, RAX50 before 1.0.3.96, RAX75 before 1.0.4.120, RAX80 before 1.0.4.120, RBK752 before 3.2.17.12, RBK852 before 3.2.17.12, RBR750 before 3.2.17.12, RBR850 before 3.2.17.12, RBS750 before 3.2.17.12, RBS850 before 3.2.17.12, RS400 before 1.5.1.80, XR1000 before 1.0.0.58, and XR300 before 1.0.3.68.
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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 unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands on affected devices. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the web interface of these routers and access points, creating a pathway for remote code execution without requiring authentication credentials. The affected devices span multiple product lines including CBR40, CBR750, EAX20, and numerous RAX, R7900, and XR series models, indicating a widespread exposure across NETGEAR's consumer and enterprise networking portfolio. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-77 which defines command injection as the improper handling of externally supplied input to the command processor, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter. The flaw enables attackers to gain full control over affected devices, potentially allowing them to modify network configurations, redirect traffic, install malware, or use the compromised devices as launch points for further attacks within the network infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple device compromise, as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of networks relying on these devices. An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this flaw from outside the network perimeter, making it particularly dangerous for home and small office users who may not have proper network segmentation in place. Once compromised, devices can serve as persistent backdoors, enabling long-term surveillance, data exfiltration, or as part of botnet formations for distributed denial-of-service attacks. The vulnerability affects devices with firmware versions prior to specific patches, suggesting that the flaw existed for extended periods without detection, potentially allowing attackers to maintain persistent access to networks. Network administrators face significant challenges in identifying affected devices, as the vulnerability requires specific firmware versions to be present, making comprehensive inventory management crucial for mitigation. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that many of these devices are deployed in environments where network monitoring is minimal, reducing the likelihood of detection.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate firmware updates from NETGEAR, as the vendor has released patches addressing this vulnerability in the affected firmware versions. Organizations should conduct comprehensive inventory audits to identify all potentially affected devices across their network infrastructure, paying particular attention to legacy models that may not receive regular updates. Network segmentation should be implemented to isolate critical systems from potentially compromised devices, while monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect unusual network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should consider implementing network access control lists to restrict access to device management interfaces, and disable unnecessary services such as telnet or SSH if not required. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and input validation, as proper sanitization of user-supplied data could have prevented the command injection. Additionally, organizations should review their incident response procedures to ensure readiness for potential exploitation scenarios, as this vulnerability could enable attackers to establish persistent access to network infrastructure. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar flaws in other network equipment, as this vulnerability highlights the broader challenge of securing Internet of Things devices within enterprise environments.