CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2021-1289 — Cisco Rv160W Wireless-Ac Vpn Router Firmware security vulnerability

Critical CVSS 9.8

Multiple vulnerabilities in the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV160, RV160W, RV260, RV260P, and RV260W VPN Routers could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary code as the root user on an affected device. These vulnerabilities exist because HTTP requests are not properly validated. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by sending a crafted HTTP request to the web-based management interface of an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to remotely execute arbitrary code on the device.

Severity
Critical
CVSS
9.8 (3.1)
Published
2021-02-04
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
operating-system
Weaknesses
CWE-472

Affected products

  • cisco / rv160w_wireless-ac_vpn_router_firmware
  • cisco / rv260_vpn_router_firmware
  • cisco / rv260p_vpn_router_with_poe_firmware
  • cisco / rv260w_wireless-ac_vpn_router_firmware
  • cisco / rv160_vpn_router_firmware

Matched remediation archetype

Command, code, expression, and template injection

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Check exposure

  • Trace untrusted values to process execution, interpreters, evaluators, template engines, dynamic imports, and administrative scripting features.
  • Determine whether the affected path is reachable across each trust boundary and which service account or host privilege it inherits.
  • Review configuration for optional execution features, unsafe compatibility modes, and shell invocation.

Remediate safely

  • Replace string-built commands or evaluated code with fixed operations and structured argument APIs that do not invoke a shell.
  • Use strict allowlists for operation identifiers and reject unexpected input before it reaches any interpreter.
  • Update the affected component and add inert regression tests covering metacharacters, encoding variants, and alternate request paths.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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