CVE-2021-42310
Microsoft Defender for IoT Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Executive Summary
CVE-2021-42310 is a high severity vulnerability affecting appsec. It is classified as an undisclosed flaw. Ensure your systems and dependencies are patched immediately to mitigate exposure risks.
Precogs AI Insight
"Microsoft Defender for IoT contains a remote code execution vulnerability. Unauthenticated attackers exploit improper input validation in network protocol parsers to execute arbitrary code and compromise the IoT security appliance. Precogs Binary SAST uncovers missing bounds checks in deep packet inspection engines."
What is this vulnerability?
CVE-2021-42310 is categorized as a high security flaw with a CVSS base score of 8.1. Based on our vulnerability intelligence, this issue occurs when the application fails to securely handle untrusted data boundaries.
Microsoft Defender for IoT Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
This architectural defect enables adversaries to bypass intended security controls, directly manipulating the application's execution state or data layer. Immediate strategic intervention is required.
Risk Assessment
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| CVSS Base Score | 8.1 (HIGH) |
| Vector String | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| Published | December 15, 2021 |
| Last Modified | November 21, 2024 |
| Related CWEs | N/A |
Impact on Systems
✅ Data Exfiltration: Attackers can extract sensitive data from backend databases, configuration files, or internal services.
✅ Authentication Bypass: Exploiting this flaw may allow unauthorized access to protected resources and administrative interfaces.
✅ Lateral Movement: Once initial access is gained, attackers can pivot to internal systems and escalate privileges.
How to Fix and Mitigate CVE-2021-42310
- Apply Vendor Patches: Upgrade affected components to their latest, non-vulnerable versions immediately.
- Implement Input Validation: Ensure all user-supplied data is validated, sanitized, and type-checked before processing.
- Deploy Runtime Protection: Use Precogs continuous monitoring to detect exploitation attempts in real time.
- Audit Dependencies: Review and update all third-party libraries and transitive dependencies.
Defending with Precogs AI
Microsoft Defender for IoT contains a remote code execution vulnerability. Unauthenticated attackers exploit improper input validation in network protocol parsers to execute arbitrary code and compromise the IoT security appliance. Precogs Binary SAST uncovers missing bounds checks in deep packet inspection engines.
Use Precogs to continuously scan your codebase, binaries, APIs, and infrastructure for this vulnerability class and related attack patterns. Our AI-powered detection engine combines static analysis with threat intelligence to identify exploitable weaknesses before attackers do.
Vulnerability Code Signature
Attack Data Flow
| Stage | Detail |
|---|---|
| Source | Untrusted User Input |
| Vector | Input flows through the application logic without sanitization |
| Sink | Execution or Rendering Sink |
| Impact | Application compromise, Logic Bypass, Data Exfiltration |
Vulnerable Code Pattern
# ❌ VULNERABLE: Unsanitized Input Flow
def process_request(request):
user_input = request.GET.get('data')
# Taint sink: processing untrusted data
execute_logic(user_input)
return {"status": "success"}
Secure Code Pattern
# ✅ SECURE: Input Validation & Sanitization
def process_request(request):
user_input = request.GET.get('data')
# Sanitized boundary check
if not is_valid_format(user_input):
raise ValueError("Invalid input format")
sanitized_data = sanitize(user_input)
execute_logic(sanitized_data)
return {"status": "success"}
How Precogs Detects This
Precogs AI Analysis Engine maps untrusted input directly to execution sinks to catch complex application security vulnerabilities.\n