CVE-2020-29656
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 · uneditedAn information disclosure vulnerability exists in RT-AC88U Download Master before 3.1.0.108. A direct access to /downloadmaster/dm_apply.cgi?action_mode=initial&download_type=General&special_cgi=get_language makes it possible to reach "unknown functionality" in a "known to be easy" manner via an unspecified "public exploit."
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 confidenceAn information disclosure vulnerability in ASUS RT-AC88U Download Master versions before 3.1.0.108 allows unauthenticated attackers to access an unknown functionality via direct requests to /downloadmaster/dm_apply.cgi with specific parameters (action_mode=initial, download_type=General, special_cgi=get_language). The vulnerability is described as easily exploitable.
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< 3.1.0.108CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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 router modelCheck the router model through the web interface (typically at http://192.168.1.1) or via the admin panel. Look for 'RT-AC88U' in the device model or system information section.Affected if The device is not an ASUS RT-AC88U router, then this specific CVE does not apply.
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Confirm Download Master is installedLog into the router admin interface and navigate to the Download Master section (usually under USB application or Storage settings). Verify if Download Master is listed as installed or enabled.Affected if Download Master is not installed or not enabled on the router, then this vulnerability does not apply.
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Check the Download Master versionIn the Download Master settings page, locate the version information. This is typically displayed in the Download Master interface or in the system information section of the firmware.Affected if The Download Master version is before 3.1.0.108 (for example, 3.1.0.099 or earlier), the router is vulnerable to this information disclosure issue.
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Verify network accessibility of the CGI endpointAttempt to access http://[router-ip]/downloadmaster/dm_apply.cgi from an external network location, or check router firewall settings to determine if port 80/443 is exposed to the internet.Affected if The Download Master CGI interface is exposed to untrusted networks (such as the internet), an unauthenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability.
A user is affected if they have an ASUS RT-AC88U router with Download Master installed and the version is before 3.1.0.108, especially if the router admin interface is network-accessible.
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 data3.1.0.108
Update ASUS RT-AC88U Download Master to version 3.1.0.108 or later to patch the information disclosure vulnerability. If patching is not immediately possible, restrict network access to the Download Master CGI interfaces.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-29656 — 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-2020-29656 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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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