CVE-2021-45619 in EX6200v2
Summary
by MITRE • 12/26/2021
Certain NETGEAR devices are affected by command injection by an unauthenticated attacker. This affects EX6200v2 before 1.0.1.86, EX6250 before 1.0.0.134, EX7700 before 1.0.0.216, EX8000 before 1.0.1.232, LBR1020 before 2.6.3.58, LBR20 before 2.6.3.50, R7800 before 1.0.2.80, R8900 before 1.0.5.26, R9000 before 1.0.5.26, RBS50Y before 2.7.3.22, WNR2000v5 before 1.0.0.76, XR700 before 1.0.1.36, EX6150v2 before 1.0.1.98, EX7300 before 1.0.2.158, EX7320 before 1.0.0.134, RAX10 before 1.0.2.88, RAX120 before 1.2.0.16, RAX70 before 1.0.2.88, EX6100v2 before 1.0.1.98, EX6400 before 1.0.2.158, EX7300v2 before 1.0.0.134, R6700AX before 1.0.2.88, RAX120v2 before 1.2.0.16, RAX78 before 1.0.2.88, EX6410 before 1.0.0.134, RBR10 before 2.7.3.22, RBR20 before 2.7.3.22, RBR350 before 4.3.4.7, RBR40 before 2.7.3.22, RBR50 before 2.7.3.22, EX6420 before 1.0.0.134, RBS10 before 2.7.3.22, RBS20 before 2.7.3.22, RBS350 before 4.3.4.7, RBS40 before 2.7.3.22, RBS50 before 2.7.3.22, EX6400v2 before 1.0.0.134, RBK12 before 2.7.3.22, RBK20 before 2.7.3.22, RBK352 before 4.3.4.7, RBK40 before 2.7.3.22, and RBK50 before 2.7.3.22.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-45619 represents a critical command injection flaw affecting numerous NETGEAR networking devices, exposing them to unauthorized remote code execution by unauthenticated attackers. This vulnerability resides in the web management interface of affected routers and access points, where input validation mechanisms fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious commands that execute with the privileges of the web server process, potentially enabling full system compromise and unauthorized network access. The affected device families span multiple product lines including EX, R, RBS, RBR, RBK, and RAX series routers and access points, indicating a widespread issue across NETGEAR's networking portfolio.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-77, which describes command injection flaws where untrusted data is incorporated into system commands without proper sanitization or validation. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious HTTP requests containing shell commands within parameters that are subsequently executed by the device's underlying operating system. The vulnerability affects firmware versions that lack proper input validation controls, particularly in the handling of URL parameters and form data submitted through the web interface. This issue stems from insufficient sanitization of user inputs, allowing attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms and execute arbitrary commands on the affected devices.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-45619 is severe and multifaceted, potentially enabling attackers to gain complete control over affected networking equipment. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized network access, data interception, man-in-the-middle attacks, and the ability to modify network configurations. Network administrators may lose visibility into their network infrastructure as compromised devices could be used to establish persistent backdoors or serve as launching points for further attacks against internal network resources. The vulnerability's unauthenticated nature means that attackers do not require valid credentials to exploit the flaw, significantly increasing the attack surface and potential impact. Organizations relying on these devices for network connectivity face substantial risk of service disruption, data breaches, and compromised network security posture.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate firmware updates from NETGEAR, as the company has released patches addressing the command injection flaw in affected versions. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to device management interfaces from untrusted networks, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect suspicious network traffic patterns. Additional protective measures include disabling unnecessary services, implementing strong authentication mechanisms where possible, and conducting comprehensive network scans to identify potentially compromised devices. Organizations should also consider implementing network intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures to address potential compromises. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date firmware and following security best practices for network infrastructure devices, as outlined in various cybersecurity frameworks including the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and MITRE ATT&CK matrix, which categorizes such vulnerabilities under the command and control domain.