Historical catalog analysis: CISA added this entry on December 18, 2024. The entry reflects catalog information retrieved on August 31, 2026, not a snapshot archived on the inclusion date. Check current vendor guidance before acting.
What the vulnerability is
CVE-2021-40407 is an OS command injection vulnerability (CWE-78) identified in the Reolink RLC-410W IP Camera. The flaw exists within the device’s network settings functionality. Exploitation of this vulnerability requires authentication, meaning an attacker must first possess valid credentials to access the affected functionality.
Exposure and applicability
This vulnerability specifically affects the Reolink RLC-410W model. Organizations deploying these cameras for physical security or surveillance are at risk if the devices remain in service and accessible via the network. Because the flaw is located in the network settings, any account with permissions to modify those settings could potentially execute arbitrary operating system commands on the device.
Remediation priorities
Our analysis indicates that remediation for this specific hardware may be constrained by the product’s lifecycle. The source notes that the RLC-410W may be end-of-life (EoL) or end-of-service (EoS), which complicates traditional patching workflows.
We prioritize the following actions:
1. Asset Identification: Immediately audit all IP camera deployments to identify the presence of the RLC-410W model.
2. Lifecycle Verification: Determine if the specific units in use have reached EoL/EoS status via official vendor documentation.
3. Decommissioning Decision: If no current mitigation or patch is available from the vendor, our analysis suggests that discontinuing the use of the product is the primary path to eliminating the exposure.
4. Access Restriction: Until devices are removed, restrict access to the camera’s management interface to a highly limited set of trusted administrative IPs to reduce the likelihood of an authenticated attacker reaching the network settings.
How to validate remediation
Verification must move beyond simple version checks, as EoL status may mean no newer version exists to resolve the flaw.
- For decommissioned assets: Validation is achieved through a confirmed inventory removal and physical or logical disconnection from the network.
- For retained assets: If a patch was applied, validation requires confirming the update via the device firmware version and testing that the network settings interface no longer accepts command injection characters (conducted in a controlled environment).
Limits and open questions
There is significant residual risk if these devices remain in production. Because the product may be EoL/EoS, there is no guarantee that a permanent software fix exists or will be released. Furthermore, while the vulnerability requires authentication, it does not account for scenarios where credentials have been leaked or are using weak defaults. It remains unknown whether other Reolink models share this specific code path in their network settings functionality.
Source and editorial note
CVE-2021-40407: Reolink RLC-410W IP Camera OS Command Injection Vulnerability · Source date: December 18, 2024 · Retrieved August 31, 2026.
Material facts are tied to the cited primary source. Recommendations are independent defensive analysis unless attributed to the source. Confirm consequential decisions against current authoritative guidance.
Archive date: December 21, 2024. The displayed post date is assigned three days after the source date to organize this retrospective archive; it does not mean this site published the analysis then. First published by this site: October 31, 2026 at 00:25 UTC.
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