CVE-2018-21097
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 · uneditedCertain NETGEAR devices are affected by a stack-based buffer overflow by an unauthenticated attacker. This affects WAC505 before 5.0.5.4, WAC510 before 5.0.5.4, WAC120 before 2.1.7, WN604 before 3.3.10, WNAP320 before 3.7.11.4, WNAP210v2 before 3.7.11.4, WNDAP350 before 3.7.11.4, WNDAP360 before 3.7.11.4, WNDAP660 before 3.7.11.4, WNDAP620 before 2.1.7, and WND930 before 2.1.5.
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 confidenceA stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in multiple NETGEAR wireless access point models (WAC505, WAC510, WAC120, WN604, WNAP320, WNAP210v2, WNDAP350, WNDAP360, WNDAP660, WNDAP620, WND930) allowing unauthenticated attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service via specially crafted network requests.
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< 5.0.5.4< 5.0.5.4< 2.1.7< 3.3.10< 3.7.11.4< 3.7.11.4< 3.7.11.4< 3.7.11.4CVSS 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:3.1/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 NETGEAR device modelLog into the device web administration interface (typically http://<device-ip>) and locate the model number in the Status or System Information page. Alternatively, check the physical device label or use network discovery tools to identify the device.Affected if The device model is one of: WAC505, WAC510, WAC120, WN604, WNAP320, WNAP210v2, WNDAP350, WNDAP360, WNDAP660, WNDAP620, or WND930.
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Retrieve the installed firmware versionIn the device web interface, navigate to Maintenance > Firmware Upgrade or System > Device Information to view the current firmware version. Some models may display this on the main status dashboard.Affected if The firmware version cannot be determined or the device is inaccessible for version checking.
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Compare firmware version against affected rangesFor WAC505/WAC510: verify version is < 5.0.5.4. For WAC120/WNDAP620: verify version < 2.1.7. For WN604: verify version < 3.3.10. For WNAP320/WNAP210v2/WNDAP350/WNDAP360/WNDAP660: verify version < 3.7.11.4. For WND930: verify version < 2.1.5 (if applicable).Affected if The installed firmware version falls below the specified threshold for your model.
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Verify network accessibility of the deviceConfirm the device is reachable on the network (ping test or port scan). The vulnerability is exploitable via specially crafted network requests, so an attacker must be able to reach the device.Affected if The device is exposed to untrusted network segments or the internet without firewall protection.
The device is affected if it is a NETGEAR WAC505, WAC510, WAC120, WN604, WNAP320, WNAP210v2, WNDAP350, WNDAP360, WNDAP660, WNDAP620, or WND930 model running firmware below the specified version threshold and is network-accessible to potential attackers.
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.
dbcve · scoped2.1.73.3.103.7.11.4
Update affected NETGEAR devices to the specified firmware versions: WAC505/WAC510 to 5.0.5.4, WAC120/WNDAP620 to 2.1.7, WN604 to 3.3.10, WNAP320/WNAP210v2/WNDAP350/WNDAP360/WNDAP660 to 3.7.11.4, and WND930 to 2.1.5.
Device-specific firmware: WAC505/WAC510 to >=5.0.5.4, WAC120/WNDAP620 to >=2.1.7, WN604 to >=3.3.10, WNAP320/WNAP210v2/WNDAP350/WNDAP360/WNDAP660 to >=3.7.11.4, WND930 to >=2.1.5
- 1. Identify the exact NETGEAR device model from the affected list (WAC505, WAC510, WAC120, WN604, WNAP320, WNAP210v2, WNDAP350, WNDAP360, WNDAP660, WNDAP620, or WND930)
- 2. Access the NETGEAR support website at kb.netgear.com and navigate to the product support page for your specific device model
- 3. Download the firmware version equal to or newer than the fixed version for your device: WAC505/WAC510: 5.0.5.4 or later | WAC120/WNDAP620: 2.1.7 or later | WN604: 3.3.10 or later | WNAP320/WNAP210v2/WNDAP350/WNDAP360/WNDAP660: 3.7.11.4 or later | WND930: 2.1.5 or later
- 4. Access the device web management interface and navigate to the Firmware Update or Administration section
- 5. Upload the downloaded firmware file and allow the device to complete the update process
- 6. After reboot, verify the firmware version has been updated successfully
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-21097 — 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-2018-21097 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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