CVE-2021-29081
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 RBW30 before 2.6.2.2, RBK852 before 3.2.17.12, RBK853 before 3.2.17.12, RBK854 before 3.2.17.12, RBR850 before 3.2.17.12, RBS850 before 3.2.17.12, RBK752 before 3.2.17.12, RBK753 before 3.2.17.12, RBK753S before 3.2.17.12, RBK754 before 3.2.17.12, RBR750 before 3.2.17.12, and RBS750 before 3.2.17.12.
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 confidenceA stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in multiple NETGEAR Orbi mesh WiFi devices (RBW30, RBK852, RBK853, RBK854, RBR850, RBS850, RBK752, RBK753, RBK753S, RBK754, RBR750, RBS750) can be exploited by an unauthenticated remote attacker to execute arbitrary code. The flaw exists due to improper bounds checking when processing network requests.
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< 2.6.2.2< 3.2.17.12< 3.2.17.12< 3.2.17.12< 3.2.17.12< 3.2.17.12< 3.2.17.12< 3.2.17.12CVSS 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
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/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 your NETGEAR Orbi device modelLocate the model number on the device label or access the web administration interface (typically at 192.168.1.1 or orbilogin.net) and check the device status page for the exact model designation (RBW30, RBK852, RBK853, RBK854, RBR850, RBS850, RBK752, RBK753, RBK753S, RBR750, or RBS750)Affected if The model is any of the listed affected models.
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Determine the installed firmware versionIn the web administration interface, navigate to the Administration or Settings section and locate the firmware version displayed (often under 'Firmware Version' or 'Router Status'). Alternatively, access the device via SSH and run the command 'nvram get firmversion' or 'cat /proc/version' if available.Affected if The firmware version cannot be determined or is not visible.
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Compare firmware version to affected rangesFor RBW30 models: verify if the installed version is earlier than 2.6.2.2. For all other affected models (RBK852, RBK853, RBK854, RBR850, RBS850, RBK752, RBK753, RBK753S, RBR750, RBS750): verify if the installed version is earlier than 3.2.17.12.Affected if Installed version is below 2.6.2.22 for RBW30, or below 3.2.17.12 for other models.
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Confirm network exposureVerify whether the device management interface is accessible from the internet (check port forwarding rules, DMZ settings, or firewall configurations on your upstream router). The vulnerability is exploitable via network requests.Affected if The device admin interface is exposed to the internet without VPN or proper access controls.
If your device model matches one of the affected models AND the installed firmware version is below the specified threshold, your environment is vulnerable to remote code execution.
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 data2.6.2.23.2.17.12
Update firmware to version 2.6.2.2 or later for RBW30, and version 3.2.17.12 or later for all other affected models. Apply updates during a planned maintenance window and verify device functionality post-update.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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-2021-29081 — 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-2021-29081 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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