CVE-2018-21205
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 D7800 before 1.0.1.30, EX2700 before 1.0.1.28, R6100 before 1.0.1.20, R7500 before 1.0.0.118, R7500v2 before 1.0.3.24, R7800 before 1.0.2.40, R9000 before 1.0.2.52, WN2000RPTv3 before 1.0.1.20, WN3000RPv3 before 1.0.2.50, WN3100RPv2 before 1.0.0.56, WNDR3700v4 before 1.0.2.96, WNDR4300 before 1.0.2.98, WNDR4300v2 before 1.0.0.50, and WNDR4500v3 before 1.0.0.50.
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 a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability that can be exploited by an unauthenticated attacker via the network. The vulnerability exists in the firmware of affected devices before the specified version updates, allowing potential remote code execution or device compromise.
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< 1.0.1.30< 1.0.1.28< 1.0.1.20< 1.0.0.118< 1.0.3.24< 1.0.2.40< 1.0.2.52< 1.0.1.20< 1.0.2.50CVSS 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
- Adjacent
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/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.
-
Identify your NETGEAR device modelCheck the product label on the router itself or look for the model number in the web interface (usually at http://192.168.1.1) under Administration or Status pagesAffected if The model is one of: D7800, Ex2700, R6100, R7500, R7800, R900, Wn2000rpt, or Wn3000rp
-
Locate the firmware version in the router web interfaceLog into the router administration page and navigate to Status or Administration > Firmware Upgrade section to find the currently installed firmware version numberAffected if You cannot locate a firmware version number or the version shown is significantly outdated
-
Compare your firmware version to the affected rangesMatch your device model and firmware version against these thresholds: D7800 < 1.0.1.30, Ex2700 < 1.0.1.28, R6100 < 1.0.1.20, R7500 < 1.0.0.118 or < 1.0.3.24, R7800 < 1.0.2.40, R900 < 1.0.2.52, Wn2000rpt < 1.0.1.20, Wn3000rp < 1.0.2.50Affected if Your installed firmware version is lower than the threshold listed for your specific model
-
Confirm remote network access is enabledCheck the router web interface under Administration > Remote Management or similar to see if remote administration access from the WAN/internet is enabledAffected if Remote management is enabled and your firmware version is below the fixed version for your model
You are affected if your NETGEAR router model matches one of the eight listed models AND your installed firmware version is below the specific threshold version for that model.
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 data1.0.0.1181.0.1.201.0.1.28
Apply the available firmware updates for the specific device model from NETGEAR's support website to remediate this vulnerability.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 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 $5,600.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-21205 — 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-2018-21205 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data