Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This flaw affects specific Cisco Small Business RV routers. An attacker who already has administrator credentials could use the web management interface to run code as root or crash the device. Cisco states it did not release fixed software, so exposure depends on whether these routers remain in use and how tightly admin access is controlled.
Executive priority
Prioritize inventory and risk disposition. The issue is not known exploited from the provided sources, but affected routers can be fully compromised by an authenticated admin-level attacker and Cisco did not provide a software fix.
Technical view
CVE-2021-1161 covers multiple authenticated remote command execution and denial-of-service vulnerabilities in RV110W, RV130, RV130W, and RV215W web management. The issue is improper input validation, mapped to CWE-121, with CVSS 3.1 score 7.2. Exploitation requires high privileges and crafted HTTP requests to the management interface.
Likely exposure
Organizations are exposed if they still operate the listed Cisco Small Business RV models, especially where the web-based management interface is reachable beyond tightly controlled administration networks.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show active exploitation or CISA KEV listing. The vulnerability is still serious because successful exploitation gives root-level code execution or forces device reload, but the attacker needs valid administrator credentials.
Researcher notes
Focus validation on management-plane reachability, credential exposure, and affected model confirmation. Avoid assuming unauthenticated exposure; the CVSS vector and description require high privileges. Evidence is incomplete on workarounds beyond Cisco’s statement that no software updates were released.
Mitigation direction
- Check Cisco advisory for current product-specific guidance and support status.
- Inventory RV110W, RV130, RV130W, and RV215W routers.
- Treat affected devices as requiring compensating controls; Cisco released no fixed software.
- Restrict management-interface access to trusted administration paths.
- Review administrator accounts and remove unnecessary privileged access.
- Plan replacement where the risk cannot be accepted or controlled.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether listed Cisco RV router models are deployed.
- Verify device model and firmware details against Cisco advisory scope.
- Determine whether web-based management is reachable from untrusted networks.
- Review administrator accounts for shared, stale, or unnecessary credentials.
- Check logs for unexpected reloads or suspicious authenticated management activity.
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-2021-1161 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.