CVE-2022-20701
Published: 10 February 2022
Summary
CVE-2022-20701 is a critical-severity Stack-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-121) vulnerability in Cisco Rv340 Firmware. Its CVSS base score is 10.0 (Critical).
Operationally, ranked in the top 9.0% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-2 (Flaw Remediation) and SI-7 (Software, Firmware, and Information Integrity).
Deeper analysis
CVE-2022-20701 encompasses multiple vulnerabilities, primarily stack-based buffer overflows and out-of-bounds writes, affecting Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers. These flaws carry a maximum CVSS score of 10.0 and could permit arbitrary code execution, privilege escalation, command execution, authentication bypass, loading of unsigned software, or denial of service.
An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit the issues over the network without user interaction to obtain full control of an affected device or disrupt its operation. The vulnerabilities reside in the routers' web management interfaces and related services, enabling an adversary positioned to reach those interfaces to compromise the device.
Cisco's security advisory recommends applying the vendor-supplied firmware updates that address the flaws and, where updates cannot be installed immediately, implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of the management interfaces. The advisory further notes that some of the issues were identified through external reports and provides per-model fixed release information.
The CVE appears in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, confirming observed in-the-wild exploitation. Its EPSS score has remained flat at 0.0608 with no material increase since disclosure.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2022-25951
Vulnerability details
Multiple vulnerabilities in Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers could allow an attacker to do any of the following: Execute arbitrary code Elevate privileges Execute arbitrary commands Bypass authentication and authorization protections Fetch and run unsigned…
more
software Cause denial of service (DoS) For more information about these vulnerabilities, see the Details section of this advisory.
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 03 March 2022
Related Threats
No named actor attribution yet. ATT&CK technique mapping in progress for this CVE.
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Directly requires timely installation of vendor firmware patches that remediate the stack-based buffer overflows and authentication bypasses in the listed RV-series routers.
Mandates verification of firmware integrity and signature validation, blocking the CVE's ability to fetch and execute unsigned software on the affected devices.
Enforces boundary protection and interface restrictions that limit unauthenticated remote attackers from reaching the vulnerable management planes of the RV routers.