Cisco Small Business RV Series Routers Management Interface Remote Command Execution and Denial of Service Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability

The web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, and RV325 routers contains multiple vulnerabilities due to improper validation of user-supplied input. These vulnerabilities affect all firmware versions prior to the fixed releases provided by Cisco [1]. An authenticated attacker with valid administrator credentials can exploit these flaws by sending crafted HTTP requests to the affected device.

Exploitation

To exploit these vulnerabilities, an attacker must have valid administrator credentials for the targeted router. The attacker then sends specially crafted HTTP requests to the web-based management interface. No additional user interaction is required beyond the initial authentication [1].

Impact

Successful exploitation allows the attacker to execute arbitrary code as the root user on the underlying operating system, leading to full compromise of the device. Alternatively, the attacker can cause the device to reload unexpectedly, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition [1].

Mitigation

Cisco has released free software updates that address these vulnerabilities. Affected users should upgrade to the fixed firmware versions as specified in the Cisco Security Advisory [1]. No workarounds are available; upgrading is the only mitigation. Customers with service contracts should obtain updates through normal channels, while those without contracts should contact Cisco TAC [1].