CVE-2022-20874 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 • 07/21/2022
The CVE-2022-20874 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw affecting Cisco Small Business routers including RV110W, RV130, RV130W, and RV215W models. This vulnerability exists within the web-based management interface of these networking devices, creating a pathway for authenticated remote attackers to compromise the affected systems. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-provided data within HTTP packet headers and parameters. This insufficient validation creates a dangerous attack surface where malicious requests can bypass normal security controls and directly impact the router's underlying operating system.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to possess valid administrator credentials, which significantly reduces the attack surface but does not eliminate the risk entirely. Once authenticated, an attacker can craft specially designed HTTP requests that exploit the input validation gaps to execute arbitrary code with root-level privileges on the affected device. This privilege escalation capability allows for complete system compromise, potentially enabling attackers to modify router configurations, install backdoors, or establish persistent access to the network infrastructure. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond arbitrary code execution to include denial of service conditions, where successful exploitation can cause the device to restart unexpectedly, disrupting network connectivity for all users relying on that router.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes "Improper Input Validation" as a fundamental weakness in software design that allows malicious inputs to bypass validation checks. The attack vector specifically relates to web application security flaws that enable command injection and privilege escalation attacks. According to MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability could map to multiple techniques including T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) and T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation) when exploited with proper authentication. The lack of available software updates from Cisco creates a particularly concerning scenario where organizations must rely on network segmentation and access controls as primary mitigations while waiting for vendor patches.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement network segmentation to isolate these routers from critical systems and limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. Access controls should be strengthened through the use of strong authentication mechanisms, including multi-factor authentication where possible, to reduce the likelihood of credential compromise. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual traffic patterns or authentication attempts that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular security audits should be conducted to identify all instances of affected router models within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current security patches and highlights the risks associated with legacy networking equipment that may no longer receive vendor support. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems specifically configured to monitor for exploitation attempts targeting web-based management interfaces, as these attacks often generate detectable traffic patterns that can be used to identify compromise attempts.