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CVE-2021-20090 actively exploited to target millions of IoT devices

Vulnerabilities mentionedAll →

CVEVulnerabilityCVSSEPSSFlagsAffectedExposurePublished
CVE-2020-29557
Pre-Authentication Buffer Overflow RCE in D-Link DIR-825 R1 Routers

CVE-2020-29557 is a critical buffer overflow (CVSS 9.8) in the web interface of D-Link DIR-825 R1 routers running firmware through 3.0.1. Because the flaw is reachable without authentication, a remote attacker can send crafted requests to the router's HTTP management interface and trigger the overflow to execute arbitrary code on the device. Successful exploitation gives the attacker full control of the router, typically enabling traffic interception, further network compromise, or use of the device as an attack pivot or botnet node. Any DIR-825 R1 device whose management interface is reachable — especially units exposed directly to the internet — is affected. The flaw is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (added 2021-11-03) and a public proof-of-concept exists, indicating exploitation in the wild.

Do: Upgrade DIR-825 R1 devices to the fixed firmware released on 2020-11-20 or later, per D-Link's update instructions. Until patched, restrict or disable web-based administration from the WAN side and allow management access only from trusted networks. Given the KEV listing and ~54% EPSS, prioritize internet-facing units and review router logs for signs of compromise.

9.854% KEV PoC
  • D-Link DIR-825 R1 firmware all versions through 3.0.1 (fixed by vendor update released 2020-11-20)
largeon the order of tens of thousands of internet-exposed devices (estimate)
CVE-2021-1498
+1 in the same advisory: …1497
Command Injection in Cisco HyperFlex HX Data Platform / Installer VM

CVE-2021-1498 is an OS command injection flaw (CWE-78) caused by insufficient input validation in the Cisco HyperFlex HX Installer Virtual Machine, part of the HyperFlex HX Data Platform. An attacker who can reach the vulnerable interface can trigger the flaw and execute arbitrary commands on the affected device with the privileges of the tomcat8 user. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to run commands on the underlying system, potentially facilitating further compromise of the HyperFlex cluster. Organizations running Cisco HyperFlex HX deployments with the affected HX Installer VM are exposed. The vulnerability is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog as of 2021-11-03, indicating exploitation in the wild, and EPSS assigns it a 100.0% probability of exploitation within 30 days (100th percentile).

Do: Apply the updated HyperFlex HX Data Platform software per Cisco's security advisory, as required by the CISA KEV catalog (due date per KEV policy for federal agencies). Restrict access to the HX Installer VM web interface to trusted management networks while patching. Review affected systems for signs of unexpected command execution by the tomcat8 user, given confirmed in-the-wild exploitation.

9.8100% KEV PoC
  • Cisco HyperFlex HX (HX Data Platform / HX Installer Virtual Machine)
moderate≈1,000–10,000 HX Installer VMs deployed worldwide, with far fewer directly reachable from the internet
CVE-2021-20090
Unauthenticated Path Traversal in Arcadyan Buffalo Router Firmware

CVE-2021-20090 is a path traversal flaw (CWE-22) in the web interface of Arcadyan's Buffalo router firmware. By sending crafted HTTP requests containing directory traversal sequences, an unauthenticated, remote attacker can bypass the device's authentication. Successful exploitation grants access to sensitive information and otherwise protected functionality on the router without valid credentials. The flaw affects multiple router models across several different vendors, because Arcadyan's Buffalo firmware is embedded in a range of OEM and ISP-distributed products. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild: the vulnerability was added to CISA's KEV catalog on 2021-11-03, and EPSS rates the probability of exploitation within 30 days at 100% (100th percentile).

Do: Apply firmware updates from the router vendor as directed in the CISA KEV required action. Until patched, restrict or disable WAN-side remote management of the device's web interface. Review router configurations for unauthorized changes after patching, since unauthenticated remote access was possible.

9.8100% KEV PoC ×2
  • Arcadyan Buffalo Firmware
massplausibly millions of deployed consumer/ISP routers; internet-exposed subset unknown
CVE-2021-22502
Unauthenticated Command Injection RCE in Micro Focus Operation Bridge Reporter

CVE-2021-22502 is an unauthenticated OS command injection flaw (CWE-78) in Micro Focus Operation Bridge Reporter (OBR) version 10.40, rated critical (CVSS 9.8) because it is reachable over the network with no privileges or user interaction required. By sending crafted input to the exposed OBR service, an attacker can inject operating-system commands that are executed directly on the OBR server. Successful exploitation yields full remote code execution with the privileges of the affected service, giving attackers a foothold in enterprise IT operations environments. Organizations running OBR 10.40 — an enterprise IT-operations analytics/reporting server — are affected, particularly where the OBR interface is reachable from untrusted networks. Exploitation status is high-concern: the flaw was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2021-11-03, a public proof-of-concept for unauthenticated command injection exists, and EPSS puts the 30-day exploitation probability at 96.7% (top percentile).

Do: Apply the vendor update for Operation Bridge Reporter per Micro Focus/OpenText instructions, as required by the CISA KEV catalog; confirm the deployed OBR build resolves 10.40. Until patched, restrict network access to the OBR server (firewall rules, VPN-only access) and hunt for signs of compromise such as unexpected processes, suspicious outbound connections, or web-shell artifacts on the server.

9.897% KEV PoC
  • Micro Focus Operation Bridge Reporter (OBR) 10.40
moderatelikely on the order of thousands of enterprise deployments worldwide (roughly 1,000–10,000 systems), with only a fraction internet-exposed; exact counts unknown
CVE-2021-22506
Information Disclosure via SAML ACS Redirect in Micro Focus Access Manager

Micro Focus Access Manager, an enterprise single sign-on and identity management product (formerly sold as Novell/NetIQ Access Manager), contains an information leakage vulnerability caused by a SAML service provider redirection issue when the Assertion Consumer Service (ACS) URL is used. An attacker who triggers or influences the ACS redirect path can cause SAML sign-in responses or session information to be delivered to an unintended, potentially attacker-controlled destination, exposing sensitive authentication data. The practical gain for an attacker is disclosure of federated sign-in material, which can support session hijacking or user impersonation in SAML-based flows. Any organization running Micro Focus Access Manager in a SAML service provider role is potentially affected; the source data provides no version ranges, so administrators must consult the vendor advisory for affected and fixed releases. The flaw was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerability (KEV) catalog on 2021-11-03, confirming in-the-wild exploitation; no public proof-of-concept is known, CVSS has not yet been scored, and EPSS estimates a 25.7% probability of exploitation within 30 days (98th percentile).

Do: Apply the Micro Focus update for CVE-2021-22506 per the vendor security bulletin, which is CISA's required action for this KEV entry; since no fixed version numbers are given in the source data, verify your installed Access Manager release against the bulletin before patching. Review whether your deployment acts as a SAML service provider, inspect Assertion Consumer Service URL and redirect handling, and check authentication logs for unexpected redirects or assertion leakage. Treat this as urgent given confirmed in-the-wild exploitation and the elevated EPSS score, even though no public proof-of-concept exists.

7.526% KEV
  • Micro Focus Access Manager
largeapproximately tens of thousands of enterprise deployments (order of 10,000-100,000 systems), most running internally with a smaller subset internet-exposed
CVE-2021-31755
Unauthenticated Stack Overflow RCE in Tenda AC11 Router via /goform/setmac

Tenda AC11 routers running firmware through 02.03.01.104_CN contain a stack buffer overflow (CWE-787 out-of-bounds write) in the /goform/setmac web endpoint. An unauthenticated attacker can trigger it with a crafted HTTP POST request, overwriting stack memory and executing arbitrary code on the device. Successful exploitation yields full control of the router, enabling traffic interception, lateral movement into the attached home or small-office network, or use in botnets. All AC11 units on affected CN firmware are in scope; no other Tenda products are named in this advisory. The flaw is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2021-11-03), carries a very high EPSS score of 86.9%, and public proof-of-concept exploit material is available on GitHub.

Do: Upgrade AC11 firmware to a release newer than 02.03.01.104_CN per Tenda's instructions (no specific fixed version is provided in this data), as required by the CISA KEV catalog. Until patched, disable or restrict WAN-facing HTTP management and monitor for unexpected POST requests to /goform/setmac. Review whether the router is reachable from the internet, since unauthenticated network access is all an attacker needs.

9.887% KEV PoC
  • Tenda AC11 router firmware through 02.03.01.104_CN (CN firmware builds up to and including this version)
largeplausibly on the order of 100,000+ consumer deployments, with tens of thousands directly internet-exposed (estimate)
Full article555 words · extracted from securityaffairs.com · click to collapse

Threat actors are actively exploiting a critical authentication bypass issue (CVE-2021-20090) affecting home routers with Arcadyan firmware.

Threat actors actively exploit a critical authentication bypass vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2021-20090, impacting home routers with Arcadyan firmware to deploy a Mirai bot.

“A path traversal vulnerability in the web interfaces of Buffalo WSR-2533DHPL2 firmware version <= 1.02 and WSR-2533DHP3 firmware version <= 1.24 could allow unauthenticated remote attackers to bypass authentication.” reads the advisory published by Tenable.

This flaw potentially affects millions of IOT devices manufactured by no less than 17 vendors, including some ISPs. 

The ongoing attacks were spotted by researchers from Juniper Threat Labs, experts believe that were conducted by a threat actor that targeted IoT devices in a campaign since February.

“As of August 5, we have identified some attack patterns that attempt to exploit this vulnerability in the wild coming from an IP address located in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. The attacker seems to be attempting to deploy a Mirai variant on the affected routers using scripts similar in name to the ones mentioned by Palo Alto Networks in March. We had witnessed the same activity starting February 18.” reads the analysis published by Juniper experts. “The similarity could indicate that the same threat actor is behind this new attack and attempting to upgrade their infiltration arsenal with yet another freshly disclosed vulnerability.”

The ongoing attacks were discovered by Juniper Threat Labs researchers while monitoring the activity of a threat actor known for targeting network and IoT devices since February.

According to the experts, between June 6, 2021, and July 23, the threat actor started exploiting the following vulnerabilities:

  1. CVE-2020-29557 (DLink routers)
  2. CVE-2021-1497 and CVE-2021-1498 (Cisco HyperFlex)
  3. CVE-2021-31755  (Tenda AC11)
  4. CVE-2021-22502 (MicroFocus OBR)
  5. CVE-2021-22506 (MicroFocus AM)
  6. a couple more exploits from exploit-db with no related CVEs.

Experts pointed out that attackers continue to add new exploits to their arsenal.

Tenable researchers shared a list of affected devices:


ADSL wireless IAD router
1.26S-R-3P
ArcadyanARV751900.96.00.96.617ES
ArcadyanVRV95176.00.17 build04
ArcadyanVGV75193.01.116
ArcadyanVRV95181.01.00 build44
ASMAXBBR-4MG / SMC7908 ADSL0.08
ASUSDSL-AC88U (Arc VRV9517)1.10.05 build502
ASUSDSL-AC87VG (Arc VRV9510)1.05.18 build305
ASUSDSL-AC31001.10.05 build503
ASUSDSL-AC68VG5.00.08 build272
BeelineSmart Box Flash1.00.13_beta4
British TelecomWE410443-SA1.02.12 build02
BuffaloWSR-2533DHPL21.02
BuffaloWSR-2533DHP31.24
BuffaloBBR-4HG
BuffaloBBR-4MG2.08 Release 0002
BuffaloWSR-3200AX4S1.1
BuffaloWSR-1166DHP21.15
BuffaloWXR-5700AX7S1.11
Deutsche TelekomSpeedport Smart 3010137.4.8.001.0
HughesNetHT2000W0.10.10
KPNExperiaBox V10A (Arcadyan VRV9517)5.00.48 build453
KPNVGV75193.01.116
O2HomeBox 64411.01.36
OrangeLiveBox Fibra (PRV3399)00.96.00.96.617ES
SkinnySmart Modem (Arcadyan VRV9517)6.00.16 build01
SparkNZSmart Modem (Arcadyan VRV9517)6.00.17 build04
Telecom (Argentina)Arcadyan VRV9518VAC23-A-OS-AM1.01.00 build44
TelMexPRV33AC1.31.005.0012
TelMexVRV7006
TelstraSmart Modem Gen 2 (LH1000)0.13.01r
TelusWiFi Hub (PRV65B444A-S-TS)v3.00.20
TelusNH20A1.00.10debug build06
VerizonFios G31001.5.0.10
VodafoneEasyBox 9044.16
VodafoneEasyBox 90330.05.714
VodafoneEasyBox 80220.02.226

The CVE-2021-20090 flaw existed in Arcadyan’s firmware for at least ten years, this means that every vendor that used it in its models automatically inherited the bug.

Researchers also shared Indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with the last wave of attacks attributed to this threat actor.

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Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking, CVE-2021-20090)

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Text extracted automatically; images, tables and formatting may be missing. Original: https://securityaffairs.com/120908/hacking/cve-2021-20090-iot-attacks.html