CVE-2020-12773
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 · uneditedA security misconfiguration vulnerability exists in the SDK of some Realtek ADSL/PON Modem SoC firmware, which allows attackers using a default password to execute arbitrary commands remotely via the build-in network monitoring tool.
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 · moderate confidenceA security misconfiguration in the Realtek ADSL/PON Modem SoC firmware SDK allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via the built-in network monitoring tool by leveraging a default password. This is a high-severity vulnerability enabling full device compromise through an exposed management interface.
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 dataall versionsCVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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 device firmware type and versionAccess the device administration panel or check the system information page. Look for 'Realtek' and 'ADSL' or 'PON' in the firmware identification strings. Document the exact firmware version displayed.Affected if The device runs Realtek Adsl Router Soc Firmware (any version listed)
-
Locate the built-in network monitoring toolIn the device web interface, navigate to the management or tools section. Look for a network monitoring, diagnostics, or ping/traceroute utility. Check the firmware for any executable or CGI script related to network monitoring functionality.Affected if The built-in network monitoring tool exists and is present in the firmware (present in all affected versions)
-
Verify if management interface is network-accessibleCheck the device's access control settings, WAN access permissions, or firewall rules. Determine if the web management interface (typically ports 80/443 or custom ports) is reachable from the WAN or untrusted network segments.Affected if The management interface is exposed to untrusted networks (WAN IP access allowed)
-
Confirm default credentials are in useAttempt to log into the device using known default credentials for Realtek modem devices (commonly admin/admin, admin/password, or vendor-specific defaults documented in device manuals). Check if the login succeeds without modification.Affected if Default credentials have not been changed and authentication succeeds with factory-set username/password
A user is affected if they operate a Realtek ADSL/PON Modem SoC device with default credentials still active and the management interface accessible from untrusted networks, enabling exploitation via the built-in network monitoring tool.
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 dataChange default credentials immediately on affected devices, disable or restrict access to the built-in network monitoring tool, and apply vendor firmware updates when available. If the monitoring tool cannot be disabled, implement network segmentation to prevent external access.
- 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-2020-12773 — 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-2020-12773 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