Cisco Small Business RV160, RV160W, RV260, RV260P, and RV260W VPN Routers Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability

CVE-2021-1294 affects the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV160, RV160W, RV260, RV260P, and RV260W VPN Routers. The vulnerability arises because HTTP requests are not properly validated, allowing an unauthenticated remote attacker to execute arbitrary code as the root user. All firmware versions prior to the fixed releases are affected [1].

Exploitation

An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted HTTP request to the web-based management interface of an affected device. No authentication or prior access is required. The attack is network-based and can be carried out over the internet if the management interface is exposed [1].

Impact

Successful exploitation allows the attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges on the affected device. This gives the attacker full control over the router, potentially leading to data exfiltration, network compromise, or use of the device as a pivot point for further attacks [1].

Mitigation

Cisco has released free software updates to address these vulnerabilities. The fixed firmware versions are detailed in the advisory [1]. Affected users should upgrade to the latest firmware available from Cisco. If immediate upgrade is not possible, Cisco recommends restricting access to the web-based management interface to trusted IP addresses only [1].