CVE-2021-45624 in D7000v2
Summary
by MITRE • 12/26/2021
Certain NETGEAR devices are affected by command injection by an unauthenticated attacker. This affects D7000v2 before 1.0.0.66, D8500 before 1.0.3.58, R7000 before 1.0.11.110, R7100LG before 1.0.0.72, R7900 before 1.0.4.30, R8000 before 1.0.4.62, XR300 before 1.0.3.56, R7000P before 1.3.2.132, R8500 before 1.0.2.144, R6900P before 1.3.2.132, and R8300 before 1.0.2.144.
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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 vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the web interface of these routers, creating a pathway for remote code execution without requiring authentication credentials. The affected models span multiple generations of NETGEAR routers including D7000v2, D8500, R7000, R7100LG, R7900, R8000, XR300, and various R7000P, R8500, R6900P, and R8300 variants, all of which were impacted by firmware versions prior to the specified patches. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-77 as Command Injection, which occurs when an application passes untrusted data to an operating system command without proper validation or escaping. This flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, enabling adversaries to execute malicious commands directly on the target device.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with complete control over affected devices, potentially allowing them to modify network configurations, redirect traffic, install malware, or use the compromised devices as entry points for further network infiltration. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious HTTP requests that bypass authentication mechanisms and inject commands into the device's command processing pipeline. The unauthenticated nature of this exploit means that attackers do not need to know any valid credentials to compromise the devices, making it particularly dangerous in network environments where physical access is limited. The vulnerability affects devices that are widely deployed in both residential and enterprise environments, potentially creating a large attack surface that could be leveraged for distributed denial-of-service attacks or as part of larger network compromise operations.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate firmware updates from NETGEAR to address the command injection vulnerability, with administrators prioritizing patching of all affected models regardless of deployment location. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to limit access to administrative interfaces and reduce the attack surface for these devices. Monitoring network traffic for suspicious command execution patterns and implementing intrusion detection systems can help identify exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider disabling unnecessary services and features on affected devices, implementing strong access controls, and regularly reviewing device configurations to prevent unauthorized modifications. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure input validation practices and proper authentication mechanisms in network device firmware, highlighting the need for comprehensive security testing and code review processes in embedded systems development.