CVE-2021-20156
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 · uneditedTrendnet AC2600 TEW-827DRU version 2.08B01 contains an improper access control configuration that could allow for a malicious firmware update. It is possible to manually install firmware that may be malicious in nature as there does not appear to be any signature validation done to determine if it is from a known and trusted source. This includes firmware updates that are done via the automated "check for updates" in the admin interface. If an attacker is able to masquerade as the update server, the device will not verify that the firmware updates downloaded are legitimate.
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 confidenceThe Trendnet TEW-827DRU firmware update mechanism lacks cryptographic signature validation, allowing any firmware file to be installed regardless of origin. An attacker positioned as a man-in-the-middle (e.g., compromised update server, DNS hijacking, network interception) can inject malicious firmware that the device will accept and flash without verification.
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= 2.08b01CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/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 device modelAccess the router web interface or check the physical device label to confirm the model number is Trendnet TEW-827DRUAffected if the device is not a Trendnet TEW-827DRU model
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Check the installed firmware versionLog into the router web interface and navigate to the Status or System section to view the current firmware version, or use the command line to query the firmware versionAffected if the firmware version is not 2.08b01
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Verify the update mechanism lacks signature validationReview the firmware update process - the vulnerability exists when the device accepts and installs firmware without verifying cryptographic signatures - no configuration setting controls this behaviorAffected if the device accepts unsigned firmware during updates
The device is affected if it is a Trendnet TEW-827DRU running firmware version 2.08b01, as this version lacks cryptographic signature validation in its update mechanism.
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 dataAvoid using the automatic update feature on untrusted networks; manually download firmware only from verified Trendnet sources over integrity-protected connections; monitor for vendor firmware patches addressing signature validation.
- Consultation4.0 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-2021-20156 — 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-2021-20156 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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