Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This CVE affects older Cisco Small Business RV110W, RV130, RV130W, and RV215W routers. An attacker with valid administrator credentials could abuse the web management interface to run code as root or force the router to restart. Cisco states it has not released software updates for these vulnerabilities.
Executive priority
Treat as high priority if these routers are still deployed, because compromise could affect network control and availability. The absence of Cisco software updates means exposure reduction, credential hygiene, restricted administration paths, and replacement planning are the practical priorities.
Technical view
The issue is improper validation of user-supplied input in the web-based management interface, mapped to CWE-121. Crafted HTTP requests from an authenticated remote administrator can cause arbitrary code execution with root privileges or denial of service through device reload. CVSS v3.1 is 7.2, with high privilege required and no user interaction.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to organizations still running the listed Cisco Small Business RV router models, especially where administrative access to the management interface is reachable over the network. The need for valid administrator credentials reduces opportunistic risk but does not remove insider, credential theft, or reused-password risk.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation. Exploitation requires valid administrator credentials and crafted HTTP requests to the management interface. Successful exploitation could give root-level control of the router or cause service interruption.
Researcher notes
The key constraints are authenticated remote access and administrator privileges. The provided record names code execution and DoS outcomes but does not provide patch details or safe verification artifacts. Avoid assuming unauthenticated exploitability or active exploitation from this bundle.
Mitigation direction
- Check Cisco guidance for any model-specific workarounds or lifecycle recommendations.
- Restrict management interface access to trusted administration networks only.
- Remove unnecessary administrator accounts and rotate router administrator credentials.
- Replace affected routers where no supported software update is available.
- Monitor for unexpected router reloads or suspicious management activity.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Cisco RV110W, RV130, RV130W, and RV215W devices.
- Confirm whether web management is reachable from untrusted networks.
- Review administrator account list and credential management practices.
- Check Cisco advisory status before assuming a patch exists.
- Review logs or monitoring for unexplained reloads.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-121: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-1160 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.2 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.25.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.2HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- 20210113 Cisco Small Business RV110W, RV130, RV130W, and RV215W Routers Management Interface Remote Command Execution and Denial of Service VulnerabilitiesCVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_CISCO
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Stack-based Buffer Overflow
Stack-based Buffer Overflow represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.