CVE-2018-10968
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedOn D-Link DIR-550A and DIR-604M devices through v2.10KR, a malicious user can use a default TELNET account to get unauthorized access to vulnerable devices, aka a backdoor access vulnerability.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceD-Link DIR-550A and DIR-604M router firmware through v2.10KR contains a hardcoded default TELNET account that provides unauthenticated administrative access to the device, effectively functioning as a backdoor that allows any remote attacker to gain full control of the affected device.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data<= 2.10kr<= 2.10krCVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the device modelCheck the device label on the router casing or log into the web interface to confirm the exact model number (DIR-550A or DIR-604M)Affected if The device is not a D-Link DIR-550A or DIR-604M model, then this CVE does not apply
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Check the firmware versionLog into the router web interface and navigate to the Status or System Information page to view the firmware version, or use the CLI command 'version' if accessibleAffected if Firmware version is 2.10kr or lower (the <= comparison is text-based due to the 'kr' suffix, so any version string that appears to be 2.10kr or earlier in the 2.10 line indicates potential vulnerability)
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Verify TELNET service accessibilityFrom a computer on the same network, use a port scanner (such as 'nmap -p 23 <router_ip>' or 'telnet <router_ip>') to check if port 23 (TELNET) is open and responding on the router's IP addressAffected if TELNET port 23 is open and the service accepts connections, indicating the vulnerable service is running
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Inspect TELNET configuration in web interfaceLog into the router web interface and look for TELNET settings, typically found under Advanced, Network Settings, or Access Control sections - check if TELNET access is enabledAffected if TELNET access is enabled in the device configuration, which would allow exploitation of the hardcoded credentials
The device is affected if it is a D-Link DIR-550A or DIR-604M router running firmware version 2.10kr or lower, and TELNET service is enabled or accessible on the network.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataImmediately disable TELNET access on affected devices if possible; contact D-Link for patched firmware and apply updates to remove the hardcoded credentials; if no patch is available, consider network segmentation or device replacement.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-10968 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-10968 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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