CVE-2022-20873 in Small Business RV110W
Summary
by MITRE • 07/21/2022
Multiple vulnerabilities in the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV110W, RV130, RV130W, and RV215W Routers could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on an affected device or cause the device to restart unexpectedly, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. These vulnerabilities are due to insufficient validation of user fields within incoming HTTP packets. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by sending a crafted request to the web-based management interface. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands on an affected device with root-level privileges or to cause the device to restart unexpectedly, resulting in a DoS condition. To exploit these vulnerabilities, an attacker would need to have valid Administrator credentials on the affected device. Cisco has not released software updates that address these vulnerabilities.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/15/2022
The CVE-2022-20873 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw affecting Cisco Small Business routers including the RV110W, RV130, RV130W, and RV215W models. This vulnerability exists within the web-based management interface of these devices and demonstrates a fundamental weakness in input validation mechanisms. The flaw stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied data within incoming HTTP packets, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate the device's operational behavior. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows for both arbitrary code execution and denial of service conditions, making it a dual threat to network security and availability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves insufficient validation of user fields within HTTP requests processed by the affected routers' web interface. When an authenticated attacker sends specially crafted HTTP packets containing malformed input data, the router's management interface fails to properly validate or sanitize these inputs before processing them. This lack of input validation creates a code injection vector that can be exploited to execute arbitrary commands with root-level privileges. The vulnerability's exploitation requires valid administrator credentials, which means the attack surface is limited to authenticated users but still represents a significant risk given that these credentials could be compromised through various means including credential reuse, phishing attacks, or weak authentication practices.
From an operational perspective, the impact of CVE-2022-20873 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to include potential system compromise and service disruption. Successful exploitation enables an attacker to gain complete control over the affected device, allowing them to modify network configurations, intercept traffic, or establish persistent access points within the network. The denial of service component of this vulnerability can be particularly damaging in enterprise environments where these routers serve as critical network infrastructure components, potentially causing widespread connectivity issues and network outages. The combination of remote code execution and denial of service capabilities places this vulnerability in a high-risk category according to industry threat models and aligns with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059.001 technique for command and scripting interpreter.
The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-20, which describes "Improper Input Validation" as a fundamental weakness that allows attackers to manipulate system behavior through malformed inputs. This weakness creates a direct pathway for privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution, making it a critical concern for network infrastructure devices that require robust security controls. Organizations affected by this vulnerability face significant risk exposure, particularly in environments where these routers are deployed in untrusted network segments or where administrative credentials may be compromised. The lack of available software updates from Cisco at the time of reporting creates an immediate security gap that organizations must address through network segmentation, access controls, and alternative mitigation strategies. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of implementing defense-in-depth strategies and proper input validation mechanisms in network infrastructure devices to prevent similar issues from compromising network security and availability.