CVE-2018-21181
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 authenticated user. This affects D7800 before 1.0.1.28, EX2700 before 1.0.1.32, EX6200v2 before 1.0.1.56, R7500v2 before 1.0.3.24, R7800 before 1.0.2.40, R9000 before 1.0.3.6, WN2000RPTv3 before 1.0.1.20, WN3000RPv3 before 1.0.2.52, WN3100RPv2 before 1.0.0.42, WNDR3700v4 before 1.0.2.92, WNDR4300 before 1.0.2.94, WNDR4300v2 before 1.0.0.50, WNDR4500v3 before 1.0.0.50, and WNR2000v5 before 1.0.0.62.
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 confidenceStack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in multiple NETGEAR router firmware versions allows authenticated users to execute arbitrary code via malformed input to the web management interface. The overflow occurs in the stack memory region, potentially allowing attackers to overwrite return addresses and execute code with elevated privileges.
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< 1.0.1.28< 1.0.1.32< 1.0.1.56< 1.0.3.24< 1.0.2.40< 1.0.3.6< 1.0.1.20< 1.0.2.52CVSS 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
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/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 router modelLocate the model number on the device label or access the router admin page and look for the model identifier in the status or system information pageAffected if The model is one of: D7800, Ex2700, Ex6200, R7500, R7800, R9000, Wn2000rpt, or Wn3000rp
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Determine the installed firmware versionLog into the web management interface (typically at 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1), navigate to Administration > Firmware Update or Router Status, and record the exact firmware version number displayedAffected if The firmware version cannot be determined or is not visible in the admin interface
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Compare firmware version against affected rangesMatch your installed firmware version to the affected threshold for your model: D7800 < 1.0.1.28, Ex2700 < 1.0.1.32, Ex6200 < 1.0.1.56, R7500 < 1.0.3.24, R7800 < 1.0.2.40, R9000 < 1.0.3.6, Wn2000rpt < 1.0.1.20, Wn3000rp < 1.0.2.52Affected if The installed version is lower than the specified threshold for your model (meaning it falls within the vulnerable range)
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Verify web management interface accessibilityConfirm that the router web management interface is accessible on the local network. This vulnerability requires authenticated access to the web interface for exploitationAffected if The web management interface is exposed to untrusted networks or the internet
You are affected if your NETGEAR router model matches one of the eight listed devices AND your installed firmware version is below the specified threshold for that model, AND an attacker could reach the web management interface with valid credentials.
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 data1.0.1.201.0.1.281.0.1.32
Apply the appropriate vendor firmware update for each affected device model. If patching is not immediately possible, restrict administrative access to trusted networks and monitor for unauthorized administrative sessions.
- 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-2018-21181 — 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-2018-21181 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
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