CVE-2020-3431 - Cisco Small Business RV042 and RV042G Routers Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability

A critical vulnerability has been discovered, tagged as CVE-2020-3431, which affects the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV042 Dual WAN VPN Routers and Cisco Small Business RV042G Dual Gigabit WAN VPN Routers. The vulnerability can potentially allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against users of the web-based management interface of the affected devices.

Details

The vulnerability is a result of insufficient validation of user-supplied input by the web-based management interface of the affected software. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by persuading a user of the interface to click a crafted link. If the exploit is successful, the attacker could execute arbitrary script code in the context of the affected interface or gain access to sensitive browser-based information.

Code Snippet Example

The below code snippet illustrates an example of how an attacker might create a malicious link to exploit the vulnerability:

<a href="http://example.cisco.rv042.router/?someParameter=<script>/* Your malicious code here */</script>">Click here for important router update</a>

In this example, when the user clicks on the link, the malicious code would execute in the user's browser, potentially leading to the compromise of sensitive data or unauthorized actions performed on the administrative interface.

For more details about this vulnerability, you can refer to the following original sources

1. Cisco Advisory: https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-rv-routers-202-HXfx9dymous

2. CVE-2020-3431 details on NIST's NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3431

Mitigation and Workarounds

Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. Users of the affected devices are recommended to update their firmware as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, there are no workarounds that address this vulnerability. As such, it is essential for users to take necessary precautions while clicking links received via email or messages, and to always ensure that devices are using the latest firmware.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the CVE-2020-3431 vulnerability affecting Cisco Small Business RV042 and RV042G routers is a serious issue that poses significant risks to users of the web-based management interface of affected devices. As always, it is crucial for users and administrators to apply the recommended patches and updates, and remain vigilant when interacting with external links and attachments.

Stay safe and update your devices as soon as possible to protect against potential attacks exploiting this vulnerability.

Timeline

Published on: 11/18/2024 16:15:06 UTC