CVE-2018-21162
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 command injection by an unauthenticated attacker. This affects D6400 before 1.0.0.78, EX6200 before 1.0.3.86, EX7000 before 1.0.0.64, R6250 before 1.0.4.8, R6300v2 before 1.0.4.6, R6400 before 1.0.1.12, R6700 before 1.0.1.16, R7000 before 1.0.7.10, R7100LG before 1.0.0.42, R7300DST before 1.0.0.44, R7900 before 1.0.1.12, R8000 before 1.0.3.36, R8300 before 1.0.2.74, R8500 before 1.0.2.74, WNDR3400v3 before 1.0.1.14, and WNR3500Lv2 before 1.2.0.48.
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 confidenceMultiple NETGEAR router models contain an unauthenticated command injection vulnerability allowing remote attackers to execute arbitrary OS commands via unspecified input vectors. The vulnerability affects 16 different router models and wireless extenders, each with specific firmware version thresholds before which they are vulnerable.
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< 1.0.0.78< 1.0.3.86< 1.0.0.64< 1.0.4.8< 1.0.4.6< 1.0.1.12< 1.0.1.16< 1.0.7.10CVSS 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 Netgear device models on the networkInventory all network devices and identify if any match these models: D6400, Ex6200, Ex7000, R6250, R6300, R6400, R6700, R7000. Check device labels, DHCP lease tables, or network scans for device fingerprints.Affected if Any of these eight models are present in the environment
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Access router administration interfaceLog into the router web GUI (typically at 192.168.1.1) or connect via telnet/SSH if enabled. Navigate to the Administration or Router Status page to view firmware version information.Affected if Access is successful and the firmware version is displayed
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Compare firmware version against vulnerable thresholdsCheck the firmware version displayed on the device status page against the following thresholds: D6400 < 1.0.0.78, Ex6200 < 1.0.3.86, Ex7000 < 1.0.0.64, R6250 < 1.0.4.8, R6300 < 1.0.4.6, R6400 < 1.0.1.12, R6700 < 1.0.1.16, R7000 < 1.0.7.10Affected if The installed firmware version is lower than the threshold for that specific model
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Verify remote management exposureCheck router settings for Remote Management or Web GUI access from WAN. Test by attempting to access the router login page from an external IP address, or review firewall/NAT rules that may expose port 8080 or 8443 to the internet.Affected if Remote administration is enabled and accessible from untrusted networks
The environment is affected if any of the eight listed Netgear models are running firmware versions below their respective thresholds, with the vulnerability exploitable via unauthenticated requests if the admin interface is reachable.
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 · scoped1.0.0.641.0.0.781.0.1.12
Apply the available firmware updates for each affected device model to the specified version or later. If firmware updates are unavailable, restrict administrative interfaces to trusted networks or disable remote management.
Upgrade to the following firmware versions: D6400 to 1.0.0.78, Ex6200 to 1.0.3.86, Ex7000 to 1.0.0.64, R6250 to 1.0.4.8, R6300v2 to 1.0.4.6, R6400 to 1.0.1.12, R6700 to 1.0.1.16, R7000 to 1.0.7.10
- 1. Identify the exact NETGEAR router model from the affected list (R6250, R6300v2, R6400, R6700, R7000, D6400, Ex6200, Ex7000).
- 2. Access the router's web management interface by entering the router's IP address (commonly 192.168.1.1) in a web browser.
- 3. Log into the router admin panel with administrative credentials.
- 4. Navigate to the 'Administration' or 'Advanced' settings section.
- 5. Look for 'Firmware Update' or 'Router Update' option.
- 6. Select the option to check for updates online, or manually upload the appropriate firmware file.
- 7. Download the specific fixed firmware version for your model from the official NETGEAR support website (kb.netgear.com).
- 8. If manually updating, select the downloaded .img or .chk firmware file and initiate the upgrade.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-21162 — 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-2018-21162 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
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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