CVE-2019-20656
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 hardcoded password. This affects D6200 before 1.1.00.36, D7000 before 1.0.1.74, PR2000 before 1.0.0.30, R6020 before 1.0.0.42, R6080 before 1.0.0.42, R6050 before 1.0.1.24, JR6150 before 1.0.1.24, R6120 before 1.0.0.48, R6220 before 1.1.0.86, R6230 before 1.1.0.86, R6260 before 1.1.0.64, R6700v2 before 1.2.0.62, R6800 before 1.2.0.62, R6900v2 before 1.2.0.62, and WNR2020 before 1.1.0.62.
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 confidenceMultiple NETGEAR router models (D6200, D7000, PR2000, R6020, R6080, R6050, JR6150, R6120, R6220, R6230, R6260, R6700v2, R6800, R6900v2, WNR2020) contain hardcoded passwords embedded in the firmware that cannot be changed by administrators. An attacker with network proximity to the device can use these credentials to gain full administrative access, enabling further network 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< 1.1.00.36< 1.0.1.74< 1.0.0.30< 1.0.0.42< 1.0.0.42< 1.0.1.24< 1.0.1.24< 1.0.0.48CVSS 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.
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Identify router modelLocate the model number on the device physical label or check the admin interface (typically at 192.168.1.1) under the Router Status or Administration pageAffected if The model is one of: D6200, D7000, PR2000, R6020, R6080, R6050, JR6150, R6120, R6220, R6230, R6260, R6700v2, R6800, R6900v2, or WNR2020
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Retrieve firmware versionIn the router admin web interface, navigate to Router Status or Advanced > Administration > Firmware Update to view the current firmware version. Alternatively, access via telnet/SSH if enabled and run 'version' or 'getfirmware' commandAffected if A firmware version is displayed that can be compared against the affected ranges
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Compare version against threshold for your modelMatch your model to the corresponding version threshold: D6200 < 1.1.00.36, D7000 < 1.0.1.74, PR2000 < 1.0.0.30, R6020 < 1.0.0.42, R6080 < 1.0.0.42, R6050 < 1.0.1.24, JR6150 < 1.0.1.24, R6120 < 1.0.0.48Affected if The installed firmware version is lower than the threshold listed for your specific model
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Verify hardcoded credential presence (optional)If you have access to the firmware image or can extract it, search for the string patterns associated with hardcoded credentials or examine the /etc/shadow or configuration files for static password hashesAffected if Hardcoded password hashes or plaintext credentials are found in the firmware that cannot be modified through the admin interface
You are affected if your NETGEAR router model matches one of the listed models AND the installed firmware version is below the threshold for that model, meaning the device contains hardcoded administrator passwords that cannot be changed.
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 data1.0.0.301.0.0.421.0.0.48
Apply vendor-supplied firmware updates to each affected device model. If updates are unavailable, restrict network access to device management interfaces and monitor for unauthorized access attempts.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-20656 — 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-2019-20656 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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